Solar eclipse of August 12, 2026


A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, with a magnitude of 1.0386. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring about 2.2 days after perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger.
The total eclipse will pass over the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Atlantic Ocean, northern Spain and very extreme northeastern Portugal. The points of greatest duration and greatest eclipse will be just off the western coast of Iceland by 65°10.3' N and 25°12.3' W, where the totality will last 2m 18.21s. The first part of the total eclipse path will, unusually, pass from east to west from Russia to Greenland, just avoiding the North Pole. A partial eclipse will cover more than 90% of the Sun in Ireland, Great Britain, Portugal, France, Italy, the Balkans and North Africa and to a lesser extent in most of Europe, West Africa and northern North America.
The total eclipse will pass over northern Spain from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean coast as well as the Balearic Islands. The total eclipse will be visible from the cities of A Coruña, Valencia, Zaragoza, Palma and Bilbao, but both Madrid and Barcelona will be just outside the path of totality.
The last total eclipse in continental Europe occurred on March 29, 2006 and in continental part of European Union it occurred on August 11, 1999. It will be the first total solar eclipse visible in Iceland since June 30, 1954, also Solar Saros series 126 (descending node), and the only one to occur in the 21st century as the next one visible over Iceland will be in 2196. The last total solar eclipse in Spain happened on August 30, 1905 and followed a similar path across the country. The next total eclipse visible in Spain will happen less than a year later on August 2, 2027.

Tourism

The longest the eclipse will last on land will be Látrabjarg in Iceland. It is therefore expected that many people will make their way there that day. Plans are being made to ensure safety in the area, but many of the roads to Látrabjargi are very narrow and dangerous. There has been talk of closing the area to car traffic and ferrying people by bus. Work has started on repairing parts of the road to Látrabjarg, partly as a routine maintenance but also because of the eclipse.

Circumstances

The eclipse path proceeds from North Siberia throughout the Arctic Region, Iceland, eastern Atlantic to Spain and the Mediterranean.

Solar eclipse and the aurora borealis

In the North Russia area where totality will begin at sunrise, the aurora borealis could also be visible up to the beginning of the nautical twilight, depending on the intensity of the auroral activity at that date. If an extremely high intensity geomagnetic storm takes place simultaneously, there might be chances of seeing the aurora simultaneously with the eclipsed Sun. In the east of Taymyr Peninsula the maximum of total phase will occur on August 13 at 0:00 local time during midnight sun.

Solar eclipse below the horizon

Due to the considerable eclipse gamma, observers, where the totally eclipsed Sun is just below the horizon will have the chance to observe the lunar shadow in the high atmosphere, as well as shortened civil twilight and extended nautical twilight. The darkening of the twilight sky could improve the chances of observing the inner Zodiacal light.

Bright planets and stars visible during totality

Far northern Russia will be treated to a dawn eclipse. Mercury and Jupiter will be very low above the rising eclipsed Sun, but Mercury will be showing most of its sunlit side and Jupiter will have its usual brightness. Mars and Saturn will be more advantageously placed in the northeast and southeast respectively. Of the bright asterisms, the Big Dipper will be very high in the north-northwest and the Summer Triangle will be high in the southwest. Aldebaran, Arcturus, Capella and Pollux are other first-magnitude stars which may be seen, although they will be low.
In Iceland the eclipse will be a mid-afternoon event occurring about 4 hours before sunset, it will start in Reykjavik at around 2:04 PM, with the total eclipse occurring at 3:15 PM. Mars may be a challenge to find, because it will be low in the west. Mercury and Jupiter will be well positioned west of the Sun and Venus will be many degrees to its east. Of 1st-magnitude stars from west to east, Capella and Pollux will be at decent elevations west of the Sun; Regulus, Spica, Arcturus, Vega and Deneb are candidates for easy sighting to the Sun's east. Procyon will be about to set, while Altair will be low on the opposite side.
In Spain the eclipse will occur about 1 hour before sunset. Mercury and Jupiter, west of the eclipsed Sun, will therefore be very low below it. Venus will be brilliant well up in the southwest, with Spica to its east. Arcturus will be high in the south, and the Summer Triangle will be well up in the east. Lower in the south, Antares will be minutes away from transit.

Images

Animated path

Eclipse details

Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which the Moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
EventTime
First Penumbral External Contact2026 August 12 at 15:35:23.9 UTC
First Umbral External Contact2026 August 12 at 16:59:18.1 UTC
First Central Line2026 August 12 at 17:01:16.5 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact2026 August 12 at 17:03:19.0 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction2026 August 12 at 17:05:01.6 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction2026 August 12 at 17:37:53.9 UTC
Greatest Duration2026 August 12 at 17:45:53.9 UTC
Greatest Eclipse2026 August 12 at 17:47:05.8 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact2026 August 12 at 18:31:21.6 UTC
Last Central Line2026 August 12 at 18:33:21.7 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact2026 August 12 at 18:35:17.7 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact2026 August 12 at 19:59:09.2 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.03863
Eclipse Obscuration1.07876
Gamma0.89774
Sun Right Ascension09h29m47.3s
Sun Declination+14°48'04.5"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'47.0"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.7"
Moon Right Ascension09h31m17.3s
Moon Declination+15°36'58.5"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'16.9"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°59'45.1"
ΔT72.4 s

Eclipse season

This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.
August 12
Descending node
August 28
Ascending node
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 126		Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 138

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2026

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 126

Inex

Triad