India, Sept. 3 -- Astute skywatchers are already preparing for cosmic success, which in 2027 will mean catching the August 2 total solar eclipse as it sweeps across North Africa. Delivering the longest totality of the 21st century, it will be an ultra-rare spectacle dubbed the "eclipse of the century". The moon will blot out the sun for an astonishing six minutes and 22.6 seconds - the longest stretch of totality on land anywhere in modern history.

Since you can only experience the "longest" part of it if you are in certain regions of North Africa or Spain, people travel to maximise their "time in the shadow". And even if you are not a member of the celestial cult, this is still a once-in-a-lifetime show worth boarding a long-haul flight...