Solar Eclipse on August 2 in US? What NASA has said on world going dark for 6 minutes

A solar eclipse is coming soon, but not as early as Saturday, August 2 as the internet and social media might lead you to believe. Yes, you read that right.

NASA has said that a total solar eclipse lasting up to 6 minutes and 23 seconds, at its peak, is expected to occur on August 2, 2027. Rumors about a lengthy total solar eclipse may have been circulating online, but the so-called "eclipse of the century" isn't for another two years.

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Is there a solar eclipse today?

No, a total solar eclipse would occur on August 2, 2027 not this year. The total solar eclipse, in which the moon moves perfectly between the sun and Earth and casts a shadow on Earth, will be one of the longest in several decades.

The total solar eclipse that occured on April 8, 2024, lasted 4 minutes and 28 seconds at its peak. The solar eclipse of 1991, however, lasted 6 minutes and 53 seconds. Space.com reports the Aug. 2, 2027 eclipse will be the longest eclipse totality until 2114.

The solar eclipse will be seen in parts of Africa Europe and the Middle East but for the majority of American skywatchers, it is a bad news. The vast chunk of the US won't have a view of it.

The Aug. 2, 2027 solar eclipse isn't actually the next total solar eclipse though. That one, on Aug. 12, 2026, will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and parts of Portugal, according to NASA.

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Will the world go dark for 6 minutes?

A fake claim has been circulating online that the entire world will plunge into darkness for 6 minutes on August 2. However, experts have clearly stated it is a hoax. In fact, NASA’s astronomical records show the next total solar eclipse of such magnitude is scheduled for August 2, 2027, not 2025.

The August 2, 2027, total solar eclipse is being called the “Eclipse of the Century” because it will offer the longest duration of totality on land in the 21st century — lasting up to 6 minutes and 22 seconds, the longest since 1991.

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Will the Aug. 2, 2027 solar eclipse be visible in the US?

A partial solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Maine between 5:14 and 5:19 a.m. ET on Aug. 2, 2027, according to Time and Date.