Will The World Go Dark For 6 Minutes On August 2? Truth Behind Viral Solar Eclipse Claim

A viral social media claim is doing the rounds that the world will go dark for nearly six minutes on August 2 due to a “once in a century” solar eclipse. The claim suggests that during this eclipse, the moon will fully block the sun for up to 6 minutes and 22 seconds, causing a blackout across most parts of the world.

However, this claim is not true. It appears to have stemmed from the prediction of an eclipse set to occur on August 2, 2027. An eclipse is an event when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun.

According to Space.com, the 2027 solar eclipse will be the longest total solar eclipse on land in the 21st century. While this event will certainly be a rare celestial occurrence, it will not affect the entire world at once. Only areas located within the eclipse path will experience darkness during the event.

The latest unusually long solar eclipse was witnessed in 2024 when parts of the United States, Canada and Mexico went dark for over 4 minutes. The Space reported that following the upcoming solar eclipse, the next time a longer eclipse will occur is on July 16, 2114. This means that the next grand eclipse is scheduled for after 87 years and not 100 years as the viral claim suggests.

The upcoming rare eclipse of 2027 will cast darkness over 11 countries, mostly in North Africa and the Middle East, Space reported. The path of totality will be about 160 miles wide. It will stretch over 9,462 miles of Earth’s surface, covering around 1.5 million square miles or 2.5 million square kilometres.

This eclipse will be mainly visible in countries such as Somalia, Libya, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt and Sudan. Some regions, such as southern Asia, Africa and Europe, may be able to witness a partial eclipse.

Some of the best places to watch this rare eclipse will include Spain's Tarifa, Tunisia’s beaches and Luxor in Egypt.