Skip to content

Monday 2 August 2027 · Matruh

The 2 August 2027 eclipse in El Alamein

Partial eclipse

On Monday 2 August 2027 the eclipse will be partial in El Alamein: the Moon will cover 96.4% of the solar disc, with the maximum at 12:50, Egypt time (UTC+3, summer time). It begins at 11:28 and ends at 14:11. In Egypt, totality will be seen in 1,210 places; the longest, in Girga (6 min 25 s). Not being total does not take away a minute of danger: 96.4% leaves Sun in view all the time, so for 2 h 43 min you need eclipse glasses and here they never come off.

96.4% of the Sun covered at maximum

Eclipse times in El Alamein

  • Starts (partial) 11:28
  • Maximum 12:50
  • Ends 14:11
  • Sun’s altitude 76.2°

Order glasses for El Alamein

Only here

  • El Alamein stays at 96.4%: of the 4,559 places in Egypt that miss totality, it is no. 753 closest to 100% (no. 76 of 96 in the Matruh Governorate). Tied with 11 others.

All times in Egypt time (UTC+3, summer time). Calculated at the coordinates of the place (30.8301, 28.9550), from GeoNames.

Before you travel, read the official travel advice: FCDO (UK government), checked on 6 November 2026.

Eclipse merch

Shipping to Egypt: €19.99. Prices: no VAT (export).

It's made in another country and enters your country as an import. On delivery, the carrier will charge you the import taxes (VAT and duties, if any) and a handling fee. They're not included in the price.

The whole shop

Tell the people you’ll be watching it with

Send it to your group El Alamein: 96.4% of the Sun covered at 12:50

One tap — the message is already written, you just pick who gets it.

With the naked eye

What you will actually notice in El Alamein

  1. 11:28 The Moon touches the edge of the Sun and the light starts to drop. You will not see it yet: a small bite out of a Sun that is still dazzling.
  2. 82 min of steady fading until maximum. In the last stretch it becomes obvious: shadows sharpen, colours go flat and the air goes still in El Alamein.
  3. 12:50 Maximum: the Moon covers 96.4% of the Sun.
  4. 96.4 % of the Sun covered. The light will turn strange — flat and cold, like a storm that never arrives — but it does NOT go dark: for that you have to be inside the path of totality.
  5. 76.2° above the horizon at maximum. With the Sun this high you do not need a clear horizon: just make sure no nearby building is in the way.
  6. 14:11 The disc is whole again and the eclipse is over.

Real night, 276 km away: the eclipse in Al Bawiti (Giza Governorate) →

The question everyone is asking

96.4% is not 100%

In El Alamein the Moon will cover 96.4% of the Sun. The missing 3.6% changes everything: while a single sliver of the Sun's surface is still visible, it is still daytime. No corona, no planets, no twilight darkness — and the glasses never come off.

El Alamein gets 0 seconds of totality. 276 km away, in Al Bawiti (Giza Governorate), totality lasts 379 seconds.

If you can travel that day, travel: inside the path it is something else. If you cannot, 96.4% through eclipse glasses is still well worth it.

See the eclipse in Al Bawiti, 276 km away →

On 1 August we'll email you your time in El Alamein

Today you're looking up the time; the day that counts is 2 August. The day before, we'll send you one email with the eclipse time in El Alamein (maximum at 12:50) and the cloud forecast for your area. One email, and you can unsubscribe in one click.

To the second

The phases of the eclipse in El Alamein

Eclipse begins11:28:01
Maximum12:50:18
Eclipse ends14:11:10
Share of the Sun covered96.4%
Magnitude0.960
Sun’s altitude at maximum76.2°

The experience

What you will see in El Alamein

At 11:28, the Moon will start biting into the solar disc in El Alamein. At maximum, at 12:50, it will cover 96.4% of the Sun: the midday light will drop very noticeably, turning dull and cold, and you may feel the temperature fall.

Even so, 96.4% is not totality: without 100% there is no corona, no twilight darkness and no planets in view. The nearest totality is about 276 km away: in Al Bawiti (Giza Governorate) the eclipse will be total, with 6 min 19 s of totality.

At maximum, the Sun will be high: 76.2° above the horizon. There is no need to look for a clear horizon; it is enough that no nearby building blocks it. With the Sun almost overhead, looking up for so long is tiring: a mat or a reclining chair helps.

Share the data for El Alamein

Share on WhatsApp Post on X

The way to the path

The nearest totality

Where the eclipse will be total near El Alamein (straight-line distance, our own calculation):

  • Al Bawiti (Giza Governorate) — 6 min 19 s of totality, about 276 km away
  • Bani Samraj (Minya Governorate) — 4 min 3 s of totality, about 334 km away

Only look at the Sun with protection: eclipse glasses with a filter that meets ISO 12312-2; sunglasses are no use. In El Alamein the eclipse is not total, so they never come off. How to choose them, in our glasses guide.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions about the eclipse in El Alamein

What time is the eclipse in El Alamein?

It begins at 11:28, peaks at 12:50 and ends at 14:11, Egypt time (UTC+3, summer time), on Monday 2 August 2027.

Will the eclipse of 2 August 2027 be total in El Alamein?

No. It is partial: the Moon will cover 96.4% of the Sun at 12:50. The nearest totality is in Al Bawiti (6 min 19 s), about 276 km away.

How long does the eclipse last in El Alamein?

The whole event, from the first to the last partial phase, lasts 2 h 43 min: from 11:28 to 14:11.

How high will the Sun be in El Alamein?

At maximum, 76.2° above the horizon. It is high: it is enough that no nearby building blocks it.

What glasses do I need to watch the eclipse?

Eclipse glasses with a filter that meets ISO 12312-2, or a solar filter for a telescope or binoculars; sunglasses are no use, not even stacked. In El Alamein they never come off: the Sun is never fully covered.

Where will the eclipse be total in Egypt?

In Egypt, the path of totality crosses 1,210 places. The longest is Girga, with 6 min 25 s.

How do I get to El Alamein?

The nearest base in our travel guide is Asyut, 460 km away in a straight line. The Egypt guide explains how to get there and how to move around on eclipse day.

Keep planning

Place by place

The eclipse in neighbouring places

The places closest to El Alamein, each with its own timetable (straight-line distance, our own calculation):

Places: UN administrative boundaries (OCHA COD-AB for Egypt, produced by CAPMAS, CC BY-IGO) and GeoNames (geonames.org, CC BY 4.0). Times and durations: our own calculation with JPL’s DE440s ephemeris, in Egypt time (UTC+3, summer time on 2 August 2027).