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August 12, 2026
On Aug. 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will sweep across Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. Many other places in the Northern Hemisphere will experience a partial solar eclipse that day, including parts of the northern U.S. (from Alaska to North Carolina), most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwestern Africa. For many along the western part of the eclipse path (in mainland Europe and Africa), the Sun will set while it’s still partially eclipsed, creating an opportunity to see a sunset eclipse.
Eclipse map
Total solar eclipse
When the Moon slips in front of the Sun, those in the center of the Moon’s shadow will experience a total solar eclipse.
For a small, remote region in northern Russia, totality — when the Moon completely covers the Sun — will occur mid-day. For Greenland and Iceland, the Sun will go dark in the late afternoon or early evening. In Spain and the very northwestern tip of Portugal, the Sun won’t be fully eclipsed until the late evening, shortly before sunset.
For most in the path of totality, the Sun will be fully eclipsed for less than two minutes. For anyone near the very center of the eclipse path in Greenland, Russia, or the North Atlantic, totality will last a little longer (but still less than two and a half minutes).
Only during those brief moments of totality, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, can viewers look directly at the eclipse without eye protection.
Before and after totality, everyone observing the Sun must use eye protection to view the partial phases of the eclipse, when the Moon is covering only part of the Sun’s disk. Observers can use solar viewing glasses (often called “eclipse glasses”), handheld solar viewers, or other safe solar filters that block out most of the Sun’s light and prevent eye damage. Eclipse watchers can also use an indirect viewing method to enjoy the partial phases of the eclipse, such as making as a pinhole projector to cast images of the Sun.
Learn more about how to view a total solar eclipse safely.
Partial solar eclipse
For eclipse watchers inside the Moon’s shadow but outside the path of totality, the Moon will never completely block the Sun and the eclipse will be p …