WorldClockTools.
Sun Total Solar Eclipse2026-08-12Archived referenceNASA Saros 126

Total Solar Eclipse of 2026-08-12

Path of totality crosses Greenland's east coast, then Iceland (Reykjavík near the central line), then northern Spain — A Coruña, Bilbao, Zaragoza, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca all on or adjacent to the central line. First total solar eclipse over mainland Europe since 1999.

First total solar eclipse over mainland Europe since August 1999 (the famous Cornwall/France eclipse). Reykjavík and northern Spain are the principal viewing destinations.

Greatest eclipse occurred at 2026-08-12T17:47:06Z

Peak UTC

17:47:06

2026-08-12

Magnitude

1.039

Sun diameter

Max duration

2m 18s

central line

Obscuration

100.0%

Sun area covered

Saros

#126

48 of 72

Gamma

0.898

Shadow axis (Earth-radii)

Path and visibility

Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain — partial across Europe, North Africa, and northeastern North America

Central path crosses

Iceland - Spain

Visible from

IcelandSpainPortugalUnited KingdomMoroccoFranceIreland

Watch the totality from

Cities from the WorldClockTools clock catalog that fall in the central path or partial-eclipse band. Each link goes to the local clock page for that city.

Path of totality

Partial-eclipse zone

Astronomical context

NASA Saros series
Saros 126 - 48 of 72
Magnitude (NASA)
1.039 - fraction of Sun diameter eclipsed
Obscuration
100.0% of the Sun's disc area covered at greatest eclipse
Gamma
0.8977 - shadow-axis offset from Earth's center (Earth-radii)
Max central duration
2m 18s

Observation and photography

Every phase of a solar eclipse outside of totality requires ISO 12312-2 certified solar viewing glasses or an equivalent solar filter on every optical instrument (telescope, binoculars, camera lens). The same standard applies to total solar eclipses. Glasses can come off only during the brief totality window on the central path; they must go back on the instant Baily's beads reappear at third contact.

Central-line duration is 2m 18s. A typical imaging plan brackets exposures from ~1/1000s for the chromosphere and Baily's beads down to ~2s for the outer corona, fired in a programmable sequence so the observer can watch with the naked eye for at least the middle third of totality.

Local sun altitude, the path crossing time of day, and recent weather climatology drive site selection. NASA's interactive eclipse map (linked below) gives the exact altitude and time for any coordinates on the path.

Editorial dossier

Europe's first total solar eclipse since 1999

Historical significance

The August 12 2026 total solar eclipse is the first total solar eclipse to cross continental Europe since August 11, 1999. The 1999 path swept Cornwall, northern France, southern Germany and Romania; the 2026 path, by contrast, takes Greenland and Iceland in the high north, then descends across the Bay of Biscay to land on Spain's northern coast and sweep across the Iberian peninsula at sunset.

Comparison to other eclipses

This is also the first of three total solar eclipses to cross Spain in just over a year — the August 2026 event is followed by the August 2 2027 totality over Cadiz and southern Spain, and the August 2 2027 path crosses very close to the Mediterranean coast. Spain is therefore the only country in the world hosting two total solar eclipses within 12 months in the decade.

Astrophotography context

Greatest eclipse occurs at 17:47 UTC, putting totality over Iceland and Spain in late afternoon — sun altitude is moderate (~25-35 degrees over Reykjavík, ~20-30 over northern Spain), giving photographers strong corona contrast against a darkening late-summer sky. The short totality (~2 minutes 18 seconds) means a tight imaging plan: bracket exposures from 1/1000s for prominences down to 2s for outer corona.

Top viewing destinations

  • - Reykjavík, Iceland — full totality from the capital, weather permitting (statistically cloudy, but reachable)
  • - Bilbao / A Coruña / Asturias coast, Spain — short flight from European hubs, on the central line
  • - Zaragoza / Valencia, Spain — inland sites with historically clearer August skies

Sources

  • NASA GSFC eclipse prediction page: https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2026Aug12Tgoogle.html
  • Espenak & Meeus, Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses (NASA/TP-2006-214141)

Frequently asked questions

Where will the total solar eclipse of 2026-08-12 be visible?
The path of totality crosses Iceland, Spain. Partial phases are visible from Iceland, Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom, Morocco, France, and 1 more.
What time will the 2026-08-12 total solar eclipse reach greatest eclipse?
Greatest eclipse occurs at 17:47 UTC on 2026-08-12 (Coordinated Universal Time). To convert to local time for your city, the conversion uses the IANA timezone for that locale — the WorldClockTools eclipse-calendar page surfaces the conversion automatically for any of the listed cities.
How long will totality last during the 2026-08-12 eclipse?
Maximum totality on the central line lasts 2m 18s. Observers off the central line see shorter durations; NASA's interactive map gives the local figure for any coordinates.
When is the next solar eclipse after the 2026-08-12 total solar eclipse?
The next solar eclipse after 2026-08-12 is the annular solar eclipse on 2027-02-06 (16:00 UTC). It will be visible from argentina, chile, southern atlantic, west africa coast.
Do I need eclipse glasses to watch the 2026-08-12 total solar eclipse?
Yes — for any solar eclipse (partial, annular, or total), looking directly at the Sun without ISO 12312-2 certified solar viewing glasses or an equivalent solar filter is unsafe and can cause permanent retinal damage. During totality only — the brief window when the Moon completely covers the Sun on the central line — it is safe to look at the eclipsed Sun with the naked eye, but glasses MUST go back on the moment Baily's beads reappear.
What is the Saros series for the 2026-08-12 total solar eclipse?
Total Solar Eclipse of 2026-08-12 is member 48 of 72 of NASA Saros series 126. Each Saros series produces an eclipse every 18 years 11 days, with successive members shifted roughly 120 degrees west in longitude. Saros series typically span 12 to 15 centuries and contain 70 to 80 eclipses each.

Eclipse data depth

What the total solar eclipse entry signals

A compact read of the NASA catalog row: Saros context, magnitude / obscuration math, path geometry, and the city / country cross-references that pair total solar eclipse with WorldClockTools local-clock pages.

Saros series context

Total Solar Eclipse 2026-08-12 is member 48 of 72 of NASA Saros series 126. Each Saros member repeats roughly every 18 years 11 days, shifted ~120 degrees west, so adjacent members in the same series land on different continents.

Magnitude and obscuration

Magnitude is 1.039 (NASA convention: fraction of Sun diameter eclipsed), and the Sun's area is obscured by 100.0%. Magnitude is the diameter ratio; obscuration is the area ratio — both come from the same NASA prediction.

Duration on the central line

Maximum totality / annularity duration is 2m 18s on the central line. Off-central observers see shorter duration; precise local duration is on NASA's interactive map.

Path and visibility footprint

The central path crosses iceland and spain. Partial phases reach a wider 7-country zone in the current catalog cut.

City cross-references

Cross-referenced cities in the WorldClockTools catalog that fall in the path or partial band: Reykjavík, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza, and Lisbon. Each city has its own clock page; pairing the eclipse time with the local clock gives the immediate local-time answer.

Gamma and geometry

Gamma is 0.8977 — the lateral distance of the Moon's shadow axis from Earth's center at greatest eclipse, in Earth-radii. |gamma| < 1.0 places the shadow axis on the Earth disc — a central eclipse with a true path of totality or annularity.

What is notable

First total solar eclipse over mainland Europe since August 1999 (the famous Cornwall/France eclipse). Reykjavík and northern Spain are the principal viewing destinations.

Catalog handoff

Next solar eclipse handoff: annular solar eclipse 2027 02 06. Next eclipse of any kind: partial lunar eclipse 2026 08 28. The full eclipse calendar lists 14 upcoming events.

Editorial dossier

An editorial dossier is attached for this event — historical context, comparison to recent and upcoming eclipses, and astrophotography notes are rendered above the FAQ.
Eclipse predictions are deterministic from JPL ephemerides — but local circumstances (exact path edge, sun altitude, weather) change with the kilometer. The NASA interactive map linked below gives precise local circumstances for any coordinates.

Data source: NASA / JPL

Eclipse data from NASA/JPL — Fred Espenak & Jean Meeus, Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses and Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses (NASA Technical Publications NASA/TP–2006-214141 and NASA/TP–2009-214172). Public domain; re-published here with attribution.

NASA page for this eclipse (path map & circumstances)eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov

Greatest eclipse: August 12, 2026 at 17:47 UTC

Other upcoming eclipses