Saudi Arabia prepares for one of the century’s longest total solar eclipses On the afternoon of August 2, 2027, something remarkable will happen over Saudi Arabia. For a few minutes, day will turn into night. The Moon will completely cover the Sun, the air will cool, stars will appear in the daytime sky, and the Sun’s glowing outer ring, called the corona, will become visible. This is not an ordinary eclipse. It is one of the longest total solar eclipses of the entire 21st century, and the first one to cross the Kingdom in more than 75 years. The Saudi Space Agency has called it the most significant astronomical event of the century. A total solar eclipse happens when the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth line up perfectly, with the Moon in the middle. By a lucky coincidence of nature, the Moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun but also about 400 times closer to us. So from the ground, both look almost exactly the same size. When they line up perfectly, the Moon blocks the Sun completely and casts its shadow on the Earth. That shadow is very small compared to the planet. It moves across [...]
