Total solar eclipse 2026: when and where to watch the August 12 eclipse

A total solar eclipse will take place on August 12, marking the first time in more than two years that the Moon will completely block the Sun for parts of the world.

According to NASA, the eclipse will be visible in totality across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain and north-eastern Portugal.

A partial solar eclipse will also be visible across parts of Europe, Africa and North America.

NASA says a total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking sunlight for locations within the path of totality.

The European Space Agency (ESA) said this will be the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Spain since 1905.

“A total solar eclipse is one of those rare moments when millions of people can look up together and feel both wonder and curiosity,” ESA Director of Science Carole Mundell said in a statement.

Experts warn that people should never look directly at the Sun without certified eclipse glasses or approved solar viewers, except during the brief period of totality.

Scientists also plan to use the eclipse to study the Sun's outer atmosphere and carry out experiments linked to Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.

The next total solar eclipse will occur on August 2, 2027, crossing southern Spain, North Africa, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, according to NASA.