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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 · 108 days away
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Total Solar Eclipse — August 12, 2026
Event overview
Total solar eclipse with a path of totality crossing eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain; up to 2 minutes 18 seconds of totality at greatest eclipse.
The clock counts down to the total solar eclipse of Wednesday, August 12, 2026 — the first total solar eclipse visible from continental Europe since August 1999. The path of totality crosses eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, with up to 2 minutes 18 seconds of totality at greatest eclipse over the Atlantic.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth and the lunar disk fully covers the solar photosphere from the perspective of observers within the umbral shadow. The August 12, 2026 eclipse is a Saros series 126 event, a long-running family of related eclipses; its predecessor in the same Saros (August 1, 2008) crossed Siberia and central Asia.
The 2026 path of totality begins at sunrise over the Arctic Ocean, sweeps across eastern Greenland (where it is total from places like Scoresbysund), arcs across western Iceland (Reykjavík is in the path with about 1 minute 50 seconds of totality), continues across the North Atlantic, and makes landfall in northern Spain. The Spanish path crosses Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, Navarra, Aragón, the Balearic Islands, and exits the country at Mallorca. Sites in northern Spain — Oviedo, Burgos, Zaragoza, Castellón, Palma — see between 1 minute 30 seconds and 1 minute 50 seconds of totality at sunset.
This is a highly unusual end-of-day eclipse for European observers. The Sun will be very low in the western sky during totality across northern Spain — only 1° to 8° above the horizon, depending on location — making horizon-clear viewing essential and giving the eclipse a dramatic sunset-orange backdrop.
Demand for the path of totality is expected to be enormous. Iceland, with cool conditions and long established eclipse-tourism infrastructure, is the safest weather bet (cloud probability about 50%). Northern Spain — primarily Aragón and Castellón — is the closest path to most of Europe and is expected to draw millions of day-trippers and weekend tourists from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. Mallorca is the warmest, sunniest, but most weather-vulnerable Mediterranean option.
The 1 minute 50 seconds of totality at Reykjavík allows a clear naked-eye view of the corona and prominences. Eclipse glasses are required during the partial phases on either side of totality; the totality itself can be viewed with the naked eye and is one of the most extraordinary natural sights. The temperature drops 5–10°C in totality; the wildlife response (birds going to roost, dogs becoming agitated) is dramatic; and bright planets and stars (Venus, Jupiter, Sirius) become visible in totality.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center publishes detailed maps and timing data; timeanddate.com, the European Space Agency, and the Royal Astronomical Society publish multilingual interactive maps. Sky & Telescope, Astronomy magazine and Sky at Night provide observer guides. Spanish national broadcaster RTVE, Iceland's RÚV, and Greenland's KNR will provide live coverage; NASA TV, BBC and the European Broadcasting Union will run international feeds.
The 2026 August total eclipse precedes the longer Total solar eclipse August 2, 2027 over Egypt by exactly a year. The Perseid meteor shower 2026 peaks the same night. Pair with Saturn opposition 2026 and June solstice 2026 on the 2026 sky calendar.
When is the August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse? Wednesday, August 12, 2026, with greatest eclipse around 17:46 UTC over the Atlantic. Where is the path of totality? Eastern Greenland, western Iceland (including Reykjavík), and northern Spain (Asturias to the Balearics). How long is totality? About 2 min 18 sec at greatest eclipse; about 1 min 50 sec from Reykjavík; 1 min 30 sec to 1 min 50 sec across northern Spain. Can I look at the eclipse without glasses? Only during the brief total phase from within the path of totality. Eclipse glasses are required for all partial phases.
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