ATLANTA — Missing your chance to view Monday's eclipse? Or are you just so excited that you can't wait to view the next one?
Well, we have good news and bad news to share:
The Good: Scientists already know when to expect the next celestial event!
The Bad: If you live in the U.S., experts say you'll likely have to wait several decades before seeing the moon block out the sun in person.
Last total solar eclipse in the U.S.?
The U.S. hasn’t experienced a total solar eclipse since Aug. 21, 2017, although a “ring of fire” solar eclipse crossed a part of the country last October. The moon was too far away then to completely blot out the sun, leaving a brilliant, burning ring around our star. The dramatic “ring of fire” stretched from Oregon to Texas, and crossed over Central America and Colombia, before exiting over Brazil. Kerrville, Texas, just west of San Antonio, is back in the bull’s-eye and expecting another packed house.
When's the next solar eclipse?
After Monday, the next total solar eclipse won’t occur until 2026. But it will graze the top of the world, dipping into Greenland, Iceland and Spain. The next one in 2027 will march across Spain and northern Africa, with totality lasting an incredible 6 1/2 minutes. North Americans will have to wait until 2033 for another total solar eclipse, but it will be limited to Alaska. In 2044, Western Canada, Montana and North Dakota will have front-row seats. And in 2045, the U.S. will once again experience a coast-to-coast total solar eclipse.