when will it be possible to observe this phenomenon in France?

The last total solar eclipse visible in the French sky took place on August 11, 1999. You will have to be patient to hope to admire such an event again from France.

In the skies of North America, the Sun, the Moon and the Earth meet for a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8 in the afternoon. A unique spectacle visible from 6 p.m. French time, in a long diagonal crossing Mexico, the United States and Canada from southwest to northeast.

To best observe this exceptional astronomical event, you must be present in the path of the eclipse, in a strip of land 185 kilometers wide stretching from the Mexican Pacific coast to the Canadian island of Newfoundland. The phenomenon is partially observable in several French overseas territories, notably in the Antilles and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, specifies the Paris Observatory. If you do not live overseas or in North America, you will have to be patient – ​​and hope to live a long time – to be able to witness such a spectacle in the French sky.

No total solar eclipse in mainland France before 2081

The last time a total solar eclipse was visible in mainland France was August 11, 1999. That day, part of the north of the territory was plunged into darkness in broad daylight.

Rare astronomical event, the next total solar eclipse visible from France will occur in fifty-seven yearsSeptember 3, 2081. On this occasion, it will be observable in the center of France, according to calculations carried out by the Institute of Celestial Mechanics and Ephemeris Calculation (IMCCE). In the meantime, certain overseas territories will have had better luck. This is the case of Guyana, which will be at the forefront of an eclipse on August 12, 2045 and a second, on September 23, 2041. During these two astronomical events, Guadeloupeans and Martinicans will also be able to enjoy the spectacle , but visibility will be partial.

A total eclipse in Spain on August 12, 2026

For the impatient and amateur astronomers, it is still possible to visit our Iberian neighbors in two years. In fact, on August 12, 2026, Spain will be the best place to contemplate a solar eclipse, according to data from IMCEE. The eclipse will be visible diagonally from Galicia to the Balearic Islands, weather conditions permitting.

For those who cannot make the trip to the other side of the Pyrenees, the eclipse will be visible from France, but partially. If you miss this meeting, the Sun and the Moon organize a catch-up session a year later, on August 2, 2027, for a total eclipse visible in the south of Spain, Algeria or even Morocco.