Total solar eclipse today not visible in Saudi Arabia

The Earth will witness a total solar eclipse today, Wednesday, which occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the Sun’s disk for observers within a narrow path. A partial eclipse will be visible across much of the Northern Hemisphere.

Majed Abu Zahra, President of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, stated that the total eclipse will be visible from parts of Russia, Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and part of Portugal. The maximum duration of totality will be about two minutes and 18 seconds, while other regions will experience a partial eclipse.

He explained that the eclipse will begin globally at 15:34 GMT, with totality starting at 16:58, peaking at 17:46, ending at 18:34, and the partial eclipse concluding worldwide at 19:57 GMT. These times represent the stages of the phenomenon at different locations on Earth.

He confirmed that the total eclipse will not be visible from Saudi Arabia, nor will it be fully observed in any Arab country. However, a partial eclipse can be seen from parts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Libya, and other areas in northern and western Africa, with the degree of coverage varying by location.

The total eclipse offers an opportunity to observe the solar corona, as well as visual phenomena such as "Baily’s beads" and the "diamond ring" effect. It also provides a scientific chance to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, its activity, and magnetic field.

This eclipse comes about a year before the anticipated total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027, whose path will cross large parts of North Africa and the Middle East, including areas of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The maximum duration of totality then will reach about six minutes and 23 seconds, making it one of the most significant total eclipses of the 21st century for the region.