Is there a Solar Eclipse on August 2, 2025? Here's what astronomers and skygazers can watch out for
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
No Solar Eclipse on August 2, 2025
An annular solar eclipse on February 28, 2025, visible from parts of the South Pacific Ocean.
A partial solar eclipse on August 23, 2025, expected to be visible across areas of Canada, Greenland, and the Arctic.
What's Fueling the Confusion? A Glimpse at 2027
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Solar Eclipse 2027: What Makes It Special?
Earth will be at aphelion, its farthest point from the Sun. This makes the Sun appear slightly smaller.
The Moon will be at perigee, its closest point to Earth, appearing larger in the sky.
The eclipse will also pass close to the equator, where the Moon's shadow moves more slowly across the Earth's surface.
Who Will Witness the 2027 Event?
Southern Spain and Gibraltar
North African countries including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt
Parts of the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Somalia
Clear Skies Expected in Key Locations
Solar Eclipse: Why Does It Matter?
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Clarifying the Date: 2025 vs 2027
FAQs
Is there a solar eclipse happening on August 2, 2025?
Why are people asking about a solar eclipse on that date?
With heightened public curiosity around astronomical events in recent years, a question has gained momentum among skywatchers and social media circles alike: is there a solar eclipse on August 2, 2025? The anticipation is understandable, especially as global enthusiasm builds for a monumental solar eclipse scheduled for August 2, 2027. However, when it comes to the year 2025, astronomers confirm that no solar eclipse will take place on August 2.Still, the buzz around the query reveals the growing public appetite for space phenomena. Here's what we know, and why the date is being confused with an extraordinary cosmic occurrence set to happen two years later.According to astronomical records maintained by NASA and verified by national observatories, there is no solar eclipse slated for August 2, 2025. In fact, only two solar eclipses are expected that year:Neither of these matches the August 2 timeline that has gone viral in online discussions. Therefore, any expectation of a celestial blackout on that particular summer day in 2025 is unfounded.The speculation likely stems from the much-anticipated total solar eclipse scheduled for August 2, 2027 — a rare and extraordinary event astronomers around the world are already preparing for. Unlike typical eclipses, this one is predicted to be the longest total eclipse visible from land between the years 1991 and 2114.At its peak, the totality, the phase where the Moon completely covers the Sun, will last an astonishing 6 minutes and 23 seconds, more than twice as long as most total solar eclipses.As experts explain, several rare astronomical conditions will converge to create this unusually long eclipse:These three factors combined ensure a prolonged period of total darkness — a phenomenon that has excited scientists and eclipse chasers alike.The total eclipse of 2027 will be visible across a vast swath of the globe. The path of totality, where the eclipse will be visible in full, begins over the Atlantic Ocean and then moves eastward.According to forecasts, the Moon's shadow will pass through:In Luxor, Egypt, observers will enjoy the longest duration of totality, over six uninterrupted minutes of mid-day darkness.Adding to the excitement is the fact that several countries on the eclipse's path, including Libya and Egypt, typically enjoy clear, sunny weather in August, increasing the chances of unobstructed views. Many amateur astronomers and tourists are already planning expeditions to these regions, with some tour operators offering eclipse-themed packages well in advance.For the uninitiated, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking all or part of the Sun's light. While partial and annular eclipses are relatively common, a total solar eclipse, especially one of this duration and visibility, is a rare cosmic spectacle.As the world counts down to that rare astronomical moment, educators, scientists, and skywatchers alike are working to raise awareness, encourage responsible viewing practices, and promote the wonder of space science.So, while 2025 will not see any celestial blackout on August 2, it certainly sets the stage, both in excitement and education, for what lies ahead in 2027.No, astronomers confirm there is no solar eclipse on August 2, 2025. This date has gone viral online, but it does not correspond to any real astronomical event that year.The confusion stems from August 2, 2027, which will feature a rare total solar eclipse. Enthusiasm for that event may be leading people to mistakenly reference 2025.Keywords Used: Solar eclipse, is there a sol
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
37 minutes ago
- The Print
Lift the veil, abandon Soviet-era approach. Indian science community wants ISRO to up its PR game
'A kid growing in India learns about NASA (US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration) before it does ISRO because NASA puts so much effort into taking its work to its citizens and the public, from the smallest of things to the biggest,' 'Gareeb Scientist' said in a post on Tuesday. Since then, at least 11,000 people have viewed it. He is part of a digital war. The aim is to awaken the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from its 55-year-old slumber by demanding better public outreach and engagement by the space agency around its space missions and technology development. New Delhi: A science communicator and space enthusiast on social media under the pseudonym 'Gareeb Scientist' sat determined behind his keyboard Tuesday. As soon as the clock struck one, he hit enter on a flurry of posts on X, with the hashtag, 'ISROfixyourPR'. The Indian science community is currently waging a war against the veil around ISRO-supported operations, fighting with memes, personal anecdotes and a carefully crafted list of its work, which has remained hidden from public discourse. Many Indian social media accounts, which dedicatedly post space updates from ISRO, said the campaign started with the aim to highlight the lack of PR from the space agency. The issue also extended to big-ticket missions, such as the recent partnership between ISRO and US-based Axiom Space to jointly send Indian Air Force group captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS). Experts said that the visibility of ISRO missions had improved over the last decade. However, they added, the burden of information dissemination remained limited to media houses and independent science communicators, who often obtained information outside of official statements. Radha Krishna Kavuluru, a space technology expert and former ISRO scientist, said ISRO, in the coming years, would conduct some inspiring missions that could inspire an entire generation of future space scientists. Kavuluru said that maximum public engagement would ensure that the public had an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of ISRO while they witnessed the indigenous scientific advancements. 'Keeping everything behind walls is a tradition of the Soviets. I am sure we are well past that age. Time to inspire and talk the walk,' Kavuluru told ThePrint. Also Read: ISRO commercial arm invites private players to build LVM3 rocket that delivered Chandrayaan mission Silence around recent missions On 25 June, IAF group captain Shubhanshu Shukla kicked off his journey to the ISS as a member of the US-run Axiom-4 mission. He became the first Indian to set foot on the ISS, and after Rakesh Sharma, the second Indian to travel to space. However, the buzz around the mission was limited to newspaper front pages and TV screens. The official social media pages of ISRO stayed content with reposting updates from the Union Minister of Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh. Between the 1 June Axiom-4 launch and its 15 July return to Earth, ISRO made 24 posts on its X account about the Axiom-4 mission, including 19 reposts of posts by the science minister, the Prime Minister's Office, or the Public Information Bureau. The remaining five posts on the ISRO X account informed about the multiple postponements of the launch and the technical faults that SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket experienced. In the same period, NASA, through its various X handles, did a run-up to the launch with at least one post per day, while reposting engagement posts by Axiom Space and SpaceX. The US space agency, in partnership with Axiom Space, organised interaction sessions with the astronauts and released not only individual profile films for each but also infographics for the rocket launch and space capsule travel trajectory, among other actions. More recently, updates on missions, such as the demonstration of the advanced technology behind rendezvous, docking, and undocking of a spacecraft in space—SpaDeX—and the upcoming one-of-a-kind NASA-ISRO SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) Mission or NISAR, a joint Earth observation mission, have been few and far in between. On Monday, during the announcement of the NISAR launch date, ISRO's PR was limited to a post on X, as NASA held a formal press conference led by the team that will undertake the mission from the US space agency's end. The team members answered all media questions on all aspects of the mission. However, ISRO was not part of the press conference. Vikranth Jonna, a 22-year-old engineer with Hyderabad-based space tech startup Dhruva Space, listed the 'crazy cool' work ISRO has done for the mission. 'ISRO is currently building methalox engines, quantum communications, human spaceflight, reusable rockets, two landers to the Moon, a mission to Venus and a lander to Mars,' Jonna said. 'Give us more opportunities to appreciate our scientists and engineers. Show us your glory,' he added. ISRO refused to respond to ThePrint's request for a response to the ongoing social media campaign. A senior scientist confirmed to ThePrint that ISRO had 'gotten better' in its PR game but accepted that compared to its counterparts, such as NASA or European Space Agency (ESA), there is a long way to go. 'Of course, there is always room for improvement. But you need to acknowledge that the space sector in India has only started opening up, and some projects still need to operate with secrecy,' the scientist said. Also Read: Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka to serve as 'manufacturing hubs' for India's homegrown space dreams Global competition From photos of astronauts working on the ISS and open-source data from active satellites to an easy-to-understand space glossary, the space PR game of NASA and its laboratories is top-class. Apart from its active presence, all over social media, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X, NASA has also been engaging with the general public through its programmes, such as the 'Get involved with NASA', where they invite members of the public to contribute their time and expertise to advancing research and solving problems, as well as potentially winning prizes as a result of their work. Its 'Citizen Science' project is open to the public all over the world and aims to collaborate with volunteers to promote discoveries. 'More than 450 NASA citizen scientists have been [so far] named as co-authors on refereed scientific publications,' the NASA website reads. Over the last few years, the ESA, China National Space Administration and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have also caught on. The agencies realised the global space domain was not only about what happened inside the laboratories, but that a significant portion of their space programme success also depended on how they presented themselves. For instance, the Japanese agency has been organising open houses, town meetings and laboratory tours to help promote the work happening at those sites. Mobilising interest in space When his 16-year-old nephew asked Kavuluru where he could find the link to a documentary on the ISRO Astrosat and Aditya-L1 missions—something on the lines of NASA's 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey' and 'Apollo-11'—the former ISRO scientist was hit with a sensation of embarrassment. 'He wanted to study how ISRO does deep space missions. I had no response because no such documentaries exist … Why is this the case? When we have done such complex missions and are observing the Sun and the stars, shouldn't Indian students have the luxury to observe them too?' Kavuluru asked. While ISRO missions remain under the shadows of mystery, the movie, as well as the OTT industry, has so far been cashing in on the public appetite for India's space success story. The Indian audiences have accepted 'Mission Mangal', 'Rocket Boys', 'Rocketry—The Nambi Effect', and 'Mission over Mars' with rave reviews. Be it Akshay Kumar portraying space pioneer Rakesh Dhawan, or R. Madhavan acting as senior scientist Nambi Narayanan—they have happily lapped it all up, with a feeling of pride. Now, they need an opportunity to applaud their real heroes. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Russian rocket takes off with US astronaut on board, Putin's envoy hails joint space effort
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
5th July was the shortest day this year. Why is the Earth spinning faster this month?
The Earth spun faster this month, recording the shortest day this year on July 10. The world is set to witness similar events on Tuesday (July 22) and next month (August 5). According to data from the Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service and the US Naval Observatory, reported by CNN, the Earth recorded its shortest day on July 10, by completing a full rotation faster by a fraction of a second (1.36 milliseconds). Until 2020, the shortest day ever recorded was -1.05 ms, which means the Earth completed its rotation in 1.05 milliseconds less than 24 hours. The Earth has been consistently crossing this number since then, recording its shortest day ever on July 5 (-1.66 ms). The Earth takes 24 hours to rotate on its axis, a period known as 'Length of Day' or LOD. The LOD may vary by a time frame as unnoticeable as a millisecond (0.001 seconds or 1 ms), and these variations are recorded using devices known as atomic clocks. The variation in LOD depends on several factors, including the position of the Moon with respect to the Earth's equator, the oceans, and the atmosphere. The Moon's gravitational pull influences the Earth's rotation speed — it is slower when the satellite is closer to the equator and faster when it's at latitudes farther away from it. The atmosphere slows down due to seasonal changes, and the Earth compensates for it by rotating faster, as the combined angular momentum of Earth and its atmosphere must remain constant. As per the same principle, the slowdown of Earth's liquid core has caused the solid Earth around it to speed up. One reason the trend of faster days has drawn attention is the concept of the 'leap second.' For several decades, Earth was known to be slowing down, making days marginally longer. This led to adjustments, known as the positive leap seconds, being made to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to slow down the atomic clock and keep it in sync with the phenomenon. This has happened 27 times since 1972. With the Earth currently recording faster rotations than it used to, the atomic time may need adjustments in the opposite direction by removing a second, called a negative leap second. This has never happened before. Since so many global systems — including telecommunications, financial transactions, and GPS satellites — depend on accurate timekeeping, it could lead to disruptions akin to the Y2K problem. Hence, scientists are closely monitoring the shortening of days.
Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
Shubhanshu Shukla shares BIG health update as astronaut learns to walk days after returning from space
Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS), has shared a glimpse of his recovery process following his 18-day space mission. In a video posted online, Shukla is seen taking assisted steps and later walking on a treadmill as part of his physical rehabilitation. 'I have received a lot of messages regarding my health and wishing me a speedy recovery,' he wrote in the caption. 'I want to thank you all and also give an update.' Explaining the effects of space travel, Shukla noted that time in orbit impacts the body in several ways — from fluid redistribution and changes in heart rate to a temporary loss of balance and muscle strength. 'These are adaptations to the new environment,' he said. 'Once the body gets used to this and we return to gravity, these adjustments happen once again.' He added that while recovery varies from person to person, the body is quick to respond. 'I was surprised to observe the pace with which our body can adjust to new settings,' he remarked. According to Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Shukla and his three fellow crew members remain in quarantine until July 23, as per standard post-mission procedures. The isolation period allows doctors to monitor their condition and assist them in readapting to Earth's gravity. Experts note that extended stays in space can result in weakened muscles, bone loss and coordination issues, making rehabilitation essential for a smooth return to everyday life. Shukla's journey is being hailed as a milestone for India's space ambitions. During the mission, he completed over 310 orbits of Earth and covered a distance exceeding 13 million kilometres. Shukla, along with three fellow astronauts, safely returned to Earth with a splashdown off the coast of California at 5:31 AM New York time on July 15. The mission marked a significant step for Texas-based company Axiom Space, which aims to collaborate with nations around the world to make space more accessible. The crew had launched into orbit last month aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They spent 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) before heading back to Earth.
