A total solar eclipse will occur on August 12, 2026, visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and Portugal.
The eclipse's path of totality will span approximately 8,300 kilometers, starting over the Arctic coastline and passing near the North Pole. Totality duration will vary: up to two minutes in Greenland and about 20 seconds in northern Spain, weather permitting. A partial eclipse will be visible across parts of Europe, Africa, and North America.
This is the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Spain since 1905, and the first of three solar eclipses Spain will experience by 2028, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).
Safety
Viewing the sun directly without specialized protection is unsafe except during totality. Certified eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers meeting international standards are required. Sunglasses are insufficient.
Optical devices such as cameras, telescopes, or binoculars require solar filters and should not be used with eclipse glasses.
Scientific Use
Scientists plan to use the eclipse to study the sun's corona and to replicate a 1919 experiment that confirmed Einstein's theory of general relativity by measuring how the sun's gravity bends light from distant stars. High-altitude balloons will capture images of the eclipse and lunar shadow. Citizen scientists are invited to build instruments to measure atmospheric changes during the event.
Future Eclipses
Next total solar eclipse: August 2, 2027 (southern Spain, North Africa, Saudi Arabia, Yemen)
- Next total solar eclipse visible in the United States: March 30, 2033 (Alaska only)
- Next total solar eclipse visible from contiguous United States: August 22, 2044 (North Dakota and Montana)
- Next coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in the Lower 48: August 12, 2045 (California to Florida)