NEW ORLEANS — In your Breakdown: if you have FOMO (fear of missing out!) from seeing all the photos and videos of the rare total solar eclipse in less-cloudy regions, get out your calendar.
The next total solar eclipse is on August 12th, 2026, but you’ll need to buy a plane ticket.
According to the National Solar Observatory, it will be visible in northern Spain, Portugal, Iceland, and Greenland.
If you want to stay stateside, you’ll have to wait for August 23rd, 2044. Even that total solar eclipse will only be visible in Montana and North Dakota.
The sun and moon will meet again on August 12th, 2045, and will approach the New Orleans area, passing over Jackson and Destin.
But on March 30th, 2053, Grand Isle, Pensacola, and Destin will be in the path of a 100% eclipse. And on May 11th, 2078 – 54 years from now -- New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Slidell will be in the path.
Of course, in between, there will be lots of less impressive celestial events. This October 2nd, people in South America will see an annular solar eclipse, which is different than what we saw today because the moon is further away and doesn’t completely cover the sun.
There are two partial eclipses in 2025, but you’ll have to travel to Europe or Australia to see them.
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