Solar Eclipse 2025: What Time Is the Solar Eclipse on August 2?
There’s lately been confusion sparked by viral posts about a “six-minute darkness” due to a solar eclipse on August 2, 2025. The fact is, there is no solar eclipse happening anywhere in the world on that date.
The hype seems to originate from misreported or misunderstood astronomical events, and official sources including NASA and observatories have confirmed that no solar eclipse—total or partial—will occur on August 2, 2025. Instead, the next solar eclipse in August on this date is set for 2027, not this year.
Will the Solar Eclipse Be Visible in India?
For those waiting to see a dramatic eclipse this August, there’s nothing to catch in 2025. The much-discussed total solar eclipse on August 2 is actually scheduled for 2027.
During the 2027 event, a partial eclipse will be visible across India. The timing for this partial eclipse varies by state and city but generally falls between 3:34PM and 5:53PM IST on August 2, 2027. Some cities, like Bengaluru and Mumbai, will see the Moon obscure up to about one-third of the Sun’s disk, while others will notice a much smaller slice covered. But to be clear—no eclipse is visible in India or anywhere else on August 2, 2025.
How is the 2027 Eclipse Duration Compared to Previous Longest Eclipses?
The total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027, will have a maximum duration of totality of 6 minutes and 23 seconds. This places it among the longest solar eclipses of the century, but not the longest in recorded history.
If we look back, the absolute longest total solar eclipse calculated in historical records lasted 7 minutes and 27.54 seconds on June 15, 743 BCE. The theoretical absolute maximum for a total solar eclipse is 7 minutes and 32 seconds, which we won’t see until the year 2186. In recent times, the eclipse on July 22, 2009, reached a totality of 6 minutes and 39 seconds near Japan, and the one on June 20, 1955, reached 7 minutes and 8 seconds west of the Philippines, though most of its path was clouded out.
The 2027 eclipse stands out as the longest total solar eclipse visible from land between 1991 and 2114, making it a rare event for any place lucky enough to be on the path of totality. Most total eclipses offer less than three minutes of darkness, so the six-minute mark is particularly notable for observers
To give you a clearer perspective, here’s how recent and historical eclipses compare:
| Eclipse Date | Max Totality Duration |
|---|---|
| June 15, 743 BCE | 7m 27.54s |
| June 20, 1955 | 7m 8s |
| July 22, 2009 | 6m 39s |
| August 2, 2027 | 6m 23s |
| August 12, 2045 | 6m 6s |
| July 16, 2186 | 7m 29s (theoretical) |
What Is a Solar Eclipse?
A solar eclipse is a natural event that takes place when the Moon moves directly between the Earth and the Sun. In that brief alignment, the Moon blocks some or all of the Sun’s light from reaching a specific part of the Earth. There are several types of solar eclipses – total, partial, annular, and hybrid – each depending on how the alignment occurs and the distances between these celestial bodies.
During a total eclipse, people standing in the path of totality experience darkness in the middle of the day as the Moon entirely obscures the Sun for a short period. Outside this path, a partial eclipse shows the Moon covering only part of the Sun’s disk.
