August 2 Solar Eclipse 2025: Is the century's longest Surya Grahan today? All you need to know
Solar eclipses don't happen often because the Moon's orbit is tilted in comparison to the Earth's path around the Sun. These alignments, known as eclipse seasons, occur twice a year. During this period, it may suddenly become dark for a few minutes even during the day.
Religious Significance of Surya Grahan in India
In Indian culture, a Surya Grahan is more than just a scientific occurrence—it holds spiritual and religious importance. Many people consider it an inauspicious time. Common traditions include:
Avoid food and drink during the eclipse period.
Expecting pregnant women to stay indoors and take extra precautions.
Taking a bath after the eclipse ends is part of spiritual cleansing.
Temples remain closed throughout the eclipse period.
Will There Be a Solar Eclipse on August 2, 2025?
No, there will be no solar or lunar eclipse on 2 August 2025. This means there is no Surya Grahan on this date, despite some confusion spreading online. So, there's no need to observe any religious rituals or precautions.
However, eclipse watchers and sky enthusiasts can look forward to a major solar eclipse on 2 August 2027, which is predicted to be the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century. It will last nearly 6 minutes, completely blocking sunlight in specific parts of the world.
When is the Next Solar Eclipse in 2025?
The second solar eclipse of 2025 will take place on the night of 21 September 2025. Here are the key date and time details:
Start Time: 11:00 PM (Indian Standard Time)
End Time: 3:23 AM on 22 September
This eclipse will be visible in countries like New Zealand, Fiji, Antarctica, and certain areas in Australia.
Unfortunately, the solar eclipse will not be visible in India, so the Sutak period—a time of religious observance before an eclipse—will not apply.
This will be a partial solar eclipse and coincides with Ashwin Amavasya, a no-moon day according to the Hindu lunar calendar.
Where Will the August 2, 2027 Total Solar Eclipse Be Visible?
The solar eclipse on 2 August 2027 will be fully visible (total eclipse) across parts of North Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Europe. According to NASA and National Eclipse, countries that fall under the path of totality include:
Somalia
Saudi Arabia
Gibraltar
Spain
Algeria
Morocco
Tunisia
Sudan
Libya
Egypt
Yemen
These areas will experience a complete blackout of the Sun, making it a breathtaking moment for anyone in the region.
Upcoming Solar Eclipses After 2025
Here's a quick glance at the upcoming solar eclipses to look out for after 2025:
21 September 2025: Partial eclipse visible in Australia, Antarctica, and parts of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
17 February 2026: Annular solar eclipse visible in Antarctica; partial eclipse viewable from multiple continents and oceans.
12 August 2026: Total solar eclipse visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and parts of Portugal.
2 August 2027: A Highly anticipated total solar eclipse will be visible across North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Europe.
To summarise, there is no solar eclipse or Surya Grahan on 2 August 2025. However, a partial solar eclipse will occur in September 2025, though not visible in India. The most exciting event is the 2 August 2027 solar eclipse, which is set to be the longest Surya Grahan of the century
Keep following for updates on the Solar Eclipse 2025 date and time, and plan ahead if you wish to travel and witness this remarkable event in person!
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We ended with the actual launch, the second attempt to send the SpaceX Dragon up after clouds and the threat of lightning thwarted the first try. In between were parties, photo ops, tours of space facilities, impromptu lunches and dinners, and late-night gatherings among disparate friend groups suddenly united. We infused these time-honored space traditions, though, with some of our own. Months ago, when Renita extended this precious invitation that comes with behind-the-scenes access to Kennedy Space Center, the astronauts, and the rocket launch itself, she did so not only because she's known me my whole life. Renita's father, Rupesh Saikia, emigrated from Assam in the 1960s, among the earliest pioneers of our tiny community on U.S. shores. He married Monju Aunty in 1966 and eventually settled in New Jersey, then Huntsville, Alabama. By the time my own father arrived in 1971, families like these were the ones who helped explain America, from foods and customs to bank transactions and mortgages. When my mom was pregnant with me, Renita's mother helped throw a baby shower combined with the Assamese ritual of panchamrit, blessings for the mother and child. As a child, I remember Renita coming over to color and play games with me and the long drives we'd take to go meet her family. 'I want you to be the Assamese rep,' Renita told me. 'The community has been so important for Mike and me…keeping some Assamese flavor in the mix would be so great.' And so I write these words, mission accomplished, with a sense of that obligation. It's really cool to attend a space launch, and I was aware of the privilege and once-in-a-lifetime nature of what I was experiencing. But at each and every event, I also felt an enormous responsibility to the many identities Mike and Renita straddle and inherit, and the one I happen to share. The Assamese infusion 'Do you know how to make that noise?' my friend Seebany Datta-Barua, another Assamese American at the launch, asked at the wave across. She was talking about uruli, the Assamese tradition of making a high-pitched sound by moving the tongue back and forth. We do this at weddings, festivals, moments of joy—and departures. 'I don't, but I can try,' I responded. And so we did. (It sounds like this) Seebany Datta-Barua holds a homemade sign in English and Assamese at an event for family and friends to wave goodbye to the astronauts.(S Mitra Kalita) Mike instantly responded by smiling in recognition, bowing his head and clasping his hands into a namaskar. My husband and I, Seebany, and her daughter also had very American signs spelling out M–I–K–E, but on the backside of one, Seebany had written, in Assamese, 'Mike, infinite blessings to you!' We planned our outfits to include elements of Assamese flair. 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My family feels similarly, and our children have often choreographed and danced the folk dance known as Bihu together. In the years he can't physically join, Mike still makes an appearance. In 2004, he called in from space—projected onto a screen in the hotel ballroom in Austin, Texas—to wish everyone well and perform a Bihu dance. Check out this clip that went viral in our communities across the world: When the cameras aren't rolling, though, I can attest to Mike's sense of respect for our culture and people. I see it in how he treats his in-laws and elderly people like my parents. I see it in how he springs into action when my own daughter, who now attends college in Houston, gets stranded after a flight cancellation and he does not hesitate to go collect her from the airport—at 2 a.m. These are the stories of immigrant solidarity, of community building, that many of us grew up with—but have waned in recent years. 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