On Aug. 2, 2027, a total solar eclipse will bring more than six minutes of totality to parts of Egypt, making it the longest totality on land since 1991 and until 2114. The path will cross southern Spain, North Africa and the Middle East, with about 88.9 million people living in its path. Luxor will experience about 6 minutes, 20 seconds of totality near midday, with excellent weather prospects due to rare clouds in early August. Temperatures around Luxor can exceed 105°F (41°C), and totality occurs shortly after 1 p.m. when the sun will be high overhead, making photography difficult. Demand is already intense, making organized trips expensive.
On July 22, 2028, another exceptionally long total solar eclipse will cross Australia, with maximum totality lasting 5 minutes and 10 seconds in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. The path will pass directly over Sydney, where the city will experience about 3 minutes, 45 seconds of totality, its first total solar eclipse since 1857. Australia's interior has excellent weather prospects, with historical cloudiness around 8% at Purnululu near the point of greatest eclipse. Sydney's cloudiness is around 43%, with temperatures around 62.6°F (17°C) in July. About 6.3 million people live in the eclipse path.
The 2027 eclipse offers the longest duration with the most favorable desert weather conditions, while 2028 offers a choice between viewing from the remote Australian Outback or from Sydney. For Northern Hemisphere observers, 2028 provides access to the Southern Hemisphere night sky, including the Milky Way's central regions, the Southern Cross, and Alpha and Beta Centauri. A partial lunar eclipse occurs on July 6-7, 2028, and the Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks around July 28.