longest total solar eclipse

A total eclipse of the Sun occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, covering the Sun's disc completely. By a fluke of nature, the apparent sizes of the Sun and Moon in our sky are nearly the same, though both vary a little because the distances between the Earth and the Sun and the Earth and the Moon are not constant. This variation affects the duration of a total eclipse. In theory, the longest time totality can last during a total solar eclipse is 7 minutes and 31 seconds. In practice, no eclipse this long has been recorded. The longest of recent times was the eclipse of 20th June, 1955. Seen from the Philippine Islands, its totality lasted 7 minutes and 8 seconds. The longest eclipse predicted for the future is one on 5 July 2168, when totality will last 7 minutes 28 seconds.