On August 12, 2026, the Moon will pass directly in front of the Sun and, for a few extraordinary minutes, turn day into a deep twilight along a narrow path across the top of the world. It's the first total solar eclipse visible from Europe since 2006 — and the first to cross mainland Spain since 1905.
Where you can see totality
The path of totality — the only place the eclipse is total — sweeps from the Arctic across a remote corner of Russia, over eastern Greenland, through western Iceland, out across the North Atlantic, and finally onto northern Spain and the Balearic Islands as the Sun sets. A brief sliver of Portugal catches it too.
Outside that band, a much larger area — most of Europe, Greenland, western Africa and the North Atlantic — gets a partial eclipse, where the Moon takes a visible bite out of the Sun without covering it completely.
The essentials
- Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
- Total in: Arctic Russia, eastern Greenland, western Iceland, northern Spain, the Balearics.
- Partial in: most of Europe, western Africa, the North Atlantic.
- In Spain: totality comes low in the west, near sunset — dramatic, but you need a flat horizon.
How long does totality last?
Totality is brief everywhere on this track — a matter of a couple of minutes at most, and less as you approach the sunset end of the path in Spain. Exact durations and timings vary sharply from town to town, so check the numbers for your specific location rather than trusting a country-wide figure. Even a short totality is worth every mile of the trip; there is nothing else like it.
Watching it safely — this part is non-negotiable
During the partial phases — which is the entire event for most of Europe — you must never look at the Sun without proper protection. Regular sunglasses are not enough. You need certified eclipse glasses (ISO 12312-2) or a proper solar filter over any binoculars, camera or telescope. Only during the brief window of total coverage, and only if you're inside the path of totality, is it safe to look with the naked eye — and you must put protection back on the instant the Sun begins to reappear.
What to expect if you're in the path
In the final minute before totality, the light goes strange and metallic, the temperature drops, and shadows sharpen. Then the Sun's disk vanishes, the corona blazes out around a black Moon, and bright stars and planets appear in the middle of the day. It's over in moments — and it's the kind of thing people rearrange their lives to see again.
We've got companion guides on gear and photography, choosing between Iceland and Spain, and exactly who catches the partial eclipse. If August 12 is on your calendar, start planning now.
Track it yourself with Sky Radar
Sky Radar sits on your desk and shows what's overhead right now — planets, the ISS, eclipses and meteor showers — with alerts that fire the moment something worth looking up for is happening.
- Real-time positions for planets, the Moon and the ISS
- Push alerts for eclipses, meteor peaks and conjunctions
- Point-and-identify sky mode for any object above you
SkyWatch Desk Radar · Sky Radar mode · skywatchshop.com
