For as long as humans have looked up, the cosmos has been a source of wonder. We traced stars to navigate, built calendars around the heavens, worshiped celestial bodies, and invented stories to explain the unknowns. But few skywatching events rival an eclipse, when daylight suddenly gives way to something otherworldly.
Following the August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse that was fully visible in Western Europe, another one is headed our way, including Northern California, Nevada, Utah, and several states. It will last up to 6 minutes and 6 seconds, making it the fourth-longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century.
When and where to see California’s next total solar eclipse
It may be nearly two decades away, but it’s never too early to start looking ahead, right? Mark your calendar for August 12, 2045. The path of totality will cross NorCal, with the eclipse beginning shortly after 7 a.m. Totality will arrive around 8:14–8:16 a.m. and end around 8:18–8:20 a.m.
Los Angeles won’t experience totality. Instead, the city will see a partial eclipse, with about 79% of the Sun covered at maximum around 9:21 a.m.
For the longest stretch of totality, head farther north, as these spots will offer some of the state’s longest windows of complete darkness, with several locations getting more than four minutes of totality:
- Cottonwood: ~4 min 31 sec
- Anderson: ~4 min 30 sec
- Redding: ~4 min 27 sec
- Shasta: ~4 min 26 sec
- Weaverville: ~4 min 17 sec
- Los Molinos: ~4 min 11 sec
- Eureka: ~4 min 7 sec
- East Quincy: ~4 min 7 sec
- Burney: ~4 min 2 sec
- Corning: ~4 min
During totality, the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright disk, revealing the corona and turning daytime skies dark. As usual, eclipse glasses are essential: never look directly at the eclipse without certified solar protection.
Other eclipses coming to California
If you don’t want to wait until 2045 (completely understandable) for another celestial show, the state’s upcoming lineup includes several events worth seeing:
🌕 August 28, 2026: Partial lunar eclipse
🌕 January 12, 2028: Partial lunar eclipse
🌑 January 26, 2028: Partial solar eclipse
🌑 January 14, 2029: Partial solar eclipse
🌕 June 26, 2029: Total lunar eclipse
