Top astronomy events for August 2026
The month of August will feature one of the best meteor showers of the year and a total solar eclipse over Spain, Portugal, Iceland and Greenland.
A partial solar eclipse today will be visible in parts of the United States, but Europe will get the best views.
In the United States, this eclipse won’t be as big a sky-watching event as the April 8, 2024, total eclipse. Instead, the northern U.S. and southern Canada will get to see the moon take “a small bite” out of the sun, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
States expected to witness the partial eclipse range from Alaska to North Carolina. Sky-watchers in Alaska will want to be ready in the morning to get a glimpse of an eclipse that will cover 37% of the sun for those in Fairbanks, Alaska, according to NASA. In Juneau, Alaska, the eclipse is expected to have 17% coverage.
Most states able to see a partial eclipse will want to watch the sky in the early afternoon. For instance, Bangor, Maine, is expected to see the moon cover 24% of the sun, with the partial eclipse starting at 12:54 p.m. local time, according to NASA. Detroit will only see 3% coverage, beginning at 1:03 p.m.
A total eclipse will be viewable in Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal, NASA said. In Greenland and Iceland, the eclipse will begin late afternoon or early evening. For Spain, totality will begin in the late evening, just before sunset, NASA said.
Much of Europe will be able to see at least a partial eclipse. However, smoke from wildfires may hamper viewing of the eclipse in Spain and southern France, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert said in a forecast. Another solar eclipse comes on Aug. 2, 2027, and the path of totality will cross over parts of Africa, Europe and the Middle East. In the United States, a partial eclipse is expected to be viewable only in parts of Maine.
What time can you see the partial eclipse in the U.S.? Here’s a guide
In Alaska, the eclipse will happen in the morning, while those in the northern U.S. will be able to see it between midday and midafternoon, according to NASA. For the eastern U.S., peak partial viewing times will be just before 2 p.m. ET.
NASA will stream the eclipse live starting at 1:15 p.m. ET on Aug. 12 on the NASA website.
Here are NASA’s local times for select U.S. cities where the eclipse is visible – when it starts and ends, when it’s at its maximum and the percentage of the sun eclipsed by the moon.
| City | Partial eclipse begins | Maximum | Coverage | Partial eclipse ends |
| Anchorage, Alaska | 7:36 a.m. | 8:21 a.m. | 28% | 9:09 a.m. |
| Bangor, Maine | 12:54 p.m. | 1:53 p.m. | 24% | 2:49 p.m. |
| Boston, Mass. | 1:01 p.m. | 1:55 p.m. | 16% | 2:46 p.m. |
| Detroit, Michigan | 1:03 p.m. | 1:36 p.m. | 3% | 2:08 p.m. |
| Fairbanks, Alaska | 7:37 a.m. | 8:27 a.m. | 37% | 9:18 a.m. |
| Juneau, Alaska | 7:41 a.m. | 8:24 a.m. | 17% | 9:08 a.m. |
| New York, New York | 1:07 p.m. | 1:54 p.m. | 9% | 2:38 p.m. |
| Philadelphia, Penn. | 1:11 p.m. | 1:53 p.m. | 7% | 2:35 p.m. |
| Portland, Maine | 12:57 p.m. | 1:53 p.m. | 19% | 2:27 p.m. |
| Washington, D.C. | 1:17 p.m. | 1:53 p.m. | 4% | 2:27 p.m. |
Want to watch the partial eclipse? Here’s how to view it safely
You will want to use proper eye protection when viewing a partial eclipse because the moon does not completely block the sun, NASA says. Options include properly filtered solar eclipse glasses, a safe handheld solar viewer and a pinhole projector (learn how to make one on NASA’s website).
Contributing: Melina Kahn, USA TODAY
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.