// SPACE.COM — SPAZIO & SCIENZA
The 2027 'eclipse of the century' will plunge real Star Wars filming locations into darkness
On Aug. 2, 2027, the moon's shadow will sweep across Tunisia, giving Star Wars fans a rare chance to experience a total solar eclipse at the real-life filming locations of Tatooine.
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On Aug. 2, 2027, the moon's shadow will sweep across some of the most iconic filming locations from Star Wars, plunging them into darkness during what's being called the "eclipse of the century".
The path of the 2027 total solar eclipse will cross southern Tunisia, where several locations were used to bring the fictional desert planet Tatooine to life. From the dunes of Mos Espa to the rocky Jundland Wastes, Star Wars fans will have the rare opportunity to experience totality at the very places where their favorite scenes were filmed
But not every famous filming location will experience totality, so choosing where to watch will be crucial. Here are four locations that fall directly in the moon's shadow. All times, totality durations and historical cloud cover data come from Time and Date.
Location: south of Chott el-Gharsa, Tozeur Governorate, southwest Tunisia
Start of totality and duration: 10:06 a.m. CET; 2 minutes, 9 seconds
With a massive budget and three prequels to make, Lucasfilm built a new film set that would double as the Mos Espa spaceport on Tatooine for The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. This is where Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jar Jar Binks and Padme get stranded, where they meet Anakin Skywalker and where the podrace takes place. Now abandoned, it's in the middle of nowhere, between two huge salt lakes and subject to the intense heat and moving Eriguet dunes — but it is firmly within the path of totality. Nearby are two other shooting locations — the Ong Jemel outcrop, where Darth Maul arrives on the scene, and Yardang, where Qui-Gon and Darth Maul battle — the first-ever lightsaber duel filmed on location.
Location: Jebel Sidi Bouhlel canyon, Dghoumès National Park, Tozeur, southwest Tunisia
Start of totality and duration: 10:06 a.m. CET; 3 minutes, 37 seconds