Where, when – A total solar eclipse will begin in Russia on 12 August, sweep across the Arctic and Greenland, and reach Iceland and Spain before ending over the Atlantic. Much of the US, Canada, Europe and parts of Africa will see a partial eclipse lasting more than an hour
On 12 August. the sky over parts of Europe and the Atlantic will do something rare: the moon will step between Earth and the sun and erase the sun’s disc entirely. For the brief stretch of totality. day will slip into twilight. temperatures will drop within minutes. and the corona—normally drowned out by sunlight—will shimmer into view.
Outside the narrow track where totality is possible, the eclipse will still be dramatic. In large swathes of the northern US. all of Canada. much of Europe and northwestern Africa. a partial eclipse will take a “bite” out of the sun for longer than an hour in many locations—without the sudden transformation that totality brings. But for everyone, the rules of watching safely won’t change: protect your eyes during every phase except totality.
Totality begins around midday in Russia, with the eclipse’s path sweeping eastward across the Arctic ocean. It will pass just south of the North Pole and make landfall in northeastern Greenland just after 4.00pm local time.
The shadow then races along Greenland’s eastern coast at a speed of more than 3,400 kilometres per hour. The maximum length of totality will be about 2 minutes and 18 seconds as the moon’s shadow crosses from Greenland into the Atlantic ocean.
As the track continues, it reaches Iceland—marking a shift from the sparsely populated areas totality has covered so far. Everywhere the eclipse has passed before this point is home only to small villages. research stations and those specifically making the journey to see it. In Reykjavík, totality will be visible for just over one minute at 5.48pm local time. For Iceland. it’s significant: this is the first time a total eclipse has been visible there since 1954. and the next time one will be visible there won’t be until 2196.
After skimming the western coast of Iceland, the total eclipse crosses another stretch of ocean and reaches land again in northern Spain just before 8.30pm local time. It will graze the northeast corner of Portugal, cross the Balearic Islands off Spain’s east coast, and then end before the sun sets.
The reason scientists—and millions of eclipse-chasers—wait for totality is simple. When the disc of the sun is completely concealed by the moon. temperatures on the ground drop by several degrees and the familiar brightness of daytime quickly turns into twilight. The stars and the outer reaches of the sun become visible. Normally, the corona is lost in the glare of the sun’s far brighter inner regions. Once that inner light is blocked. the corona’s shimmering sheets of extraordinarily hot plasma can briefly be seen with the naked eye.
During every other phase of the eclipse, eye protection is crucial. Eclipse glasses or a solar filter must be used when looking directly at the sun to prevent eye damage. The exception is totality itself: during that short window, it is safe to look at the corona.
That timing matters for more than spectacle. Solar scientists will use total eclipses as valuable opportunities to observe the corona and try to solve its many mysteries—starting with why it is so much hotter than the sun’s surface.
For the far wider audience watching from the partial-eclipse track. the experience will last longer. but the view will be different. A partial eclipse. where the moon takes a “bite” out of the sun. will extend across about a quarter of the entire planet and last much longer than totality. Across many locations in the northern US. all of Canada. much of Europe and northwestern Africa. it will last more than an hour in many places. It won’t be as dramatic: the corona won’t become visible. and ambient light levels and temperatures won’t drop as dramatically. But it will still be watchable for many more people.
In a partial eclipse, eye protection is needed for the entire viewing. If you don’t have eye protection, there are safer ways to watch without looking directly at the sun—using a pinhole camera, or even natural shadows that project the sun’s shape as the moon passes in front of it.
For those planning a trip, eclipse-focused travel is already lining up viewing routes in handpicked locations around the world. But for many places in the partial-eclipse zone, the eclipse will arrive without requiring a flight—so long as the eye protection does.
2026 solar eclipse total solar eclipse partial solar eclipse eclipse glasses corona Reykjavík 5.48pm Greenland 4.00pm
So it’s just gonna erase the sun? Sounds fake but I kinda wanna see it.
Partial in Europe too right? Like everyone gets the “twilight” thing for an hour?? I’m confused because the title says “total” but the article says partial for most places.
Wait this is 2026 so people are already planning? I heard on TikTok the eclipse will hit Texas, which is obviously closer than Russia lol. Also do we really need special glasses if it’s “only” a bite?
If the moon is stepping between us and the sun that’s literally a sign or something… unless it’s just science. Also 2 minutes and change of totality sounds way too short, I’d miss it standing in the wrong spot. They say protect your eyes except totality, but how do they even know what phase your dumb backyard is in?