Credit: Robster 1983/WikiMedia Commons
Key Takeaways:
- An exclusive tour, "2027 Pharaoh’s Shadow" by Eclipse Traveler, has been introduced to facilitate observation of the 2027 total solar eclipse following the oversubscription of a prior offering.
- The six-night itinerary, commencing July 27, 2027, includes three nights in Cairo for cultural exploration, a three-day Nile cruise, and concludes in Luxor.
- Participants will observe the August 2, 2027, total solar eclipse near the Temple of Dendera, experiencing over 6 minutes and 20 seconds of totality, characterized as the greatest visible totality of the 21st century under anticipated clear skies.
- The article's "tour astronomer" highlights this eclipse as a uniquely significant and profoundly impactful astronomical phenomenon, recommended for all levels of experience.
In April, I wrote a story inviting readers to join me in Egypt for the 2027 total solar eclipse. Well, that adventure is completely sold out.
But if you still want to go, Astronomy magazine’s tour provider, Eclipse Traveler, has created another excursion you can sign up for.
Called “2027 Pharaoh’s Shadow,” this six-night tour begins with three nights in Cairo, continues with a three-day Nile cruise, and ends at Luxor where you’ll be on the center line for the greatest total solar eclipse visible during the rest of the 21st century. The location, near the Temple of Dendera, offers more than 6 minutes and 20 seconds of totality. Incredible! And in a place where, on the date of the eclipse, clouds are virtually impossible. Oh, yes, it will be clear.
The trip of a lifetime
The adventure will begin as you arrive in Cairo on July 27, 2027, where an Eclipse Traveler representative will escort you to your hotel. Rest and relax. The next few days will be busy.
Day two starts with a visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum. Among many priceless artifacts, you’ll be able to view the treasures of King Tutankhamen. I don’t know about you, but that’s been on my bucket list ever since I read about him as a child. But that’s just the morning. The afternoon features a tour of the Giza Plateau, which includes the pyramids and the Great Sphinx.
I won’t recount the whole itinerary here because you can read it on Eclipse Traveler’s website.
Credit: M. Bakich/Google Earth
Totality!
I will say that if you’ve never seen a total solar eclipse, this is the one to aim for. Heck, that’s true even if you’ve seen one — or more. The August 2, 2027 eclipse will be my 16th total solar eclipse. And yet, I’m more excited about it than I remember being for any of those previous 15 events. Yes, even the first one.
As “tour astronomer,” I’ve spoken to thousands of people before more than a dozen total eclipses. As they listen, I imagine they’re thinking, “Who does this guy think he is, P. T. Barnum?” Yes, I hype the events. But how many of those people have ever come up to me after seeing totality and said, “That wasn’t as big a deal as you made it out to be”? Zero. Seeing the Sun blotted out of the daytime sky will stick with you for the rest of your life. I guarantee it.
If this short write-up gets you excited, head to Eclipse Traveler’s website for more details, the full itinerary, and pricing.
Tell them Michael sent you. And thank me after the eclipse.
