In the Canary Islands the eclipse of 2 August 2027 will be partial on every island: the Moon will cover between 76.2% of the Sun, in the south of Gran Canaria, and 81.8%, in the north of La Palma. Maximum comes between 09:32 and 09:37 Canary Islands time, which is one hour behind mainland Spain and the same as UK summer time (UTC+1), with the Sun still low, 24-29° above the eastern horizon. Keep your glasses on the whole time.
Island by island
Listed from west to east, which is the way the shadow moves. “Starts” is the earliest start time on the island and “Ends” the latest end time; all in Canary Islands time.
| Island | Sun covered | Starts | Maximum | Ends | Sun’s altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Hierro | 77.2-77.5% | 08:32:18 | 09:32:07-09:32:13 | 10:39:09 | 24.1-24.2° |
| La Palma | 80.5-81.8% | 08:32:23 | 09:32:33-09:32:43 | 10:40:01 | 24.4-24.6° |
| La Gomera | 78.2-78.7% | 08:32:34 | 09:32:51-09:32:57 | 10:40:24 | 24.9-25.1° |
| Tenerife | 77.8-79.6% | 08:32:45 | 09:33:17-09:33:54 | 10:41:57 | 25.5-26.2° |
| Gran Canaria | 76.2-77.4% | 08:33:11 | 09:34:04-09:34:25 | 10:42:46 | 26.5-26.9° |
| Fuerteventura | 77.0-78.7% | 08:33:53 | 09:35:34-09:36:01 | 10:45:21 | 28.2-28.7° |
| Lanzarote and La Graciosa | 79.9-80.7% | 08:34:06 | 09:36:15-09:36:37 | 10:46:20 | 28.9-29.2° |
The island with the most Sun covered is La Palma, with Barlovento and Garafía at 81.8%; the one with the least is Gran Canaria, with San Bartolomé de Tirajana at 76.2%. On Tenerife it ranges from 79.6% in Tegueste to 77.8% in San Miguel de Abona; on Lanzarote, from 80.7% in Haría to 79.9% in Yaiza. Within each island the differences are under two percentage points, so the figure changes more from island to island than from town to town.
The eclipse lasts a little over two hours everywhere. On El Hierro it begins at 08:32, and on Lanzarote it ends at 10:46.
The seven island capitals
| Capital | Sun covered | Starts | Maximum | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz de la Palma | 81.3% | 08:32:26 | 09:32:41 | 10:39:57 |
| Arrecife | 79.9% | 08:34:13 | 09:36:28 | 10:46:06 |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 79.5% | 08:33:01 | 09:33:54 | 10:41:57 |
| San Sebastián de la Gomera | 78.3% | 08:32:38 | 09:32:57 | 10:40:24 |
| Puerto del Rosario | 78.1% | 08:34:01 | 09:35:57 | 10:45:14 |
| Valverde | 77.5% | 08:32:20 | 09:32:13 | 10:39:09 |
| Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | 77.2% | 08:33:20 | 09:34:25 | 10:42:46 |
In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, last summer’s eclipse reached 69.7%; this one reaches 77.2%.
Why there is no totality in the Canaries
The Moon’s shadow, the one that brings sudden night, crosses the Atlantic much further north, reaches the Gulf of Cádiz and the Strait of Gibraltar and carries on towards the Mediterranean. The Canary Islands stay in the penumbra, where the Moon only covers part of the disc. The 105 municipalities with totality are in Cádiz, Málaga, Granada, Almería, Ceuta and Melilla; you will find them, with their seconds, in the list of towns with totality, and places to see it in where to watch in Spain.
The last totality in the Canary Islands was on 2 October 1959: according to the IGN (Spain’s National Geographic Institute), that total eclipse could only be seen in Spain from the islands.
The Sun low and in the east
At half past nine in the morning the Sun will be between 24° and 29° up, towards the east. At that height a mountain or a building can hide it. If you live on a west-facing slope or in a narrow street, find a spot beforehand with a clear view of the eastern horizon.
Glasses on the whole time
In a partial eclipse there is no moment when it is safe to look without a filter. La Palma’s 81.8% leaves almost a fifth of the Sun in view, and that part can still burn the retina. You need glasses with an EN ISO 12312-2 filter from the first bite to the last. On Order your glasses you can ask for ours: cardboard, with the EN ISO 12312-2 certificate, along with the phone filter and packs for groups. We reply with the price and the delivery time.
Sources: percentages, times and the Sun’s altitude for the 88 municipalities of the Canary Islands: eclipseando engine (skyfield + DE440s); legal time in the Canary Islands and on the mainland: IANA time zone database (tzdata); the 1959 total eclipse: Información astronómica: eclipses de Sol y Luna — IGN (in Spanish); safety rule: IGN — eclipses.ign.es (in Spanish).
If you would like something to keep from the eclipse, the shop prints T-shirts, mugs and posters with the name of your town, the time of its maximum and its seconds of totality. See the merchandise →
Remember: never look at the Sun without proper eye protection (filters made to EN ISO 12312-2). The official reference for safe viewing in Spain is the IGN (in Spanish): eclipses.ign.es.