Longest total solar eclipse in history

The longest total solar eclipse on record occurred more than 2,700 years ago, lasting 7 minutes and 28 seconds, just a few seconds short of its maximum.

Simulation of the stages of a total solar eclipse. Photo: Earthsky — Simulation of the stages of a total solar eclipse. Photo: *Earthsky*

On April 8, 2024, observers in parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada will be able to see a total solar eclipse, while all of North America will be able to see at least a partial eclipse. The maximum length of totality—when the Sun is completely obscured by the Moon—will be 4 minutes and 28 seconds, occurring near the village of Nazas in northwestern Mexico. That’s quite long, but still far short of the record for the longest total solar eclipse in history.

The longest total solar eclipse ever recorded was 7 minutes and 28 seconds, which occurred on June 15, 743 BC, in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Kenya and Somalia, Africa, according to NASA.

Mathematically, the longest possible total solar eclipse on Earth is 7 minutes and 31 seconds, according to astronomer Jean Meeus. The event can occur within 5 degrees north of the equator in July, when the sun is at its farthest point from Earth and appears smaller in the sky, and the moon is at its closest point to Earth.

There is no record of such a long eclipse, at least in the last few thousand years. But in more than 150 years, an event approaching this level could occur. Scientists have calculated a total solar eclipse in the distant future. Accordingly, the eclipse in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of French Guiana on July 16, 2186, is expected to have a phase of totality lasting 7 minutes and 29 seconds.

"In the 2186 eclipse, the Moon's shadow will appear above the center of the Earth. The Moon will be very large because it is relatively close, and the Sun will be very small because it is far away. All of these things combine to make the total phase of the 2186 eclipse exceptionally long," said eclipse expert Dan McGlaun.

Although the longest total solar eclipse in history occurred thousands of years ago and a longer one won't happen for more than 100 years, observers can cheat if they have a supersonic plane. On June 30, 1973, seven scientists aboard the supersonic Concorde 001 flew at Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound) to extend the total eclipse viewing time from 7 minutes and 4 seconds to an astonishing 74 minutes.

Thu Thao (According to Live Science )

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