The next major solar eclipse is the total of August 12, 2026 — crossing western Iceland and the north of Spain. Date, exact local times, viewing path and how to watch safely.
The next solar eclipse is also the most important solar eclipse over mainland Europe in over a quarter century: the first total solar eclipse visible from continental Europe since August 11, 1999. The Moon's shadow enters the atmosphere over the Arctic, sweeps southeast across the North Atlantic, and makes landfall in northwest Spain late in the afternoon.
| Date | Wednesday, August 12, 2026 |
| Type | Total solar eclipse |
| Max totality | 2 min 18 sec (central path, NW Spain) |
| Greatest eclipse (UTC) | 17:47 UTC |
| Path width | ~290 km |
| Visibility (totality) | W Greenland · W Iceland · N Spain (Galicia, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Aragón, Valencia, Balearics) |
| Visibility (partial) | All of Europe · N Africa · E coast of N America |
The path of totality is a corridor about 290 km wide. Outside it, observers see a partial eclipse — striking, but not the full corona. The shadow enters the atmosphere over the Canadian Arctic, sweeps across Greenland, brushes the western coast of Iceland (Reykjavík is just inside, with brief totality), crosses the North Atlantic, and makes landfall in Galicia (A Coruña, Lugo) around 18:28 UTC.
From there the shadow races east-southeast across the north of Spain at over 3,000 km/h: Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León (Burgos, León, Palencia, Valladolid, Salamanca, Zamora), La Rioja, Navarra, País Vasco (Bilbao, Vitoria), Aragón (Zaragoza), Castellón, Valencia, Baleares (Mallorca, Menorca). The shadow leaves continental Europe over the Balearic Sea around 18:35 UTC, ending the show over the Mediterranean before sunset.
Outside the path of totality, much of the rest of Europe sees a deep partial eclipse: ~90% in Madrid, ~85% in Lisbon, ~80% in Paris, ~50% in London, ~70% in Rome, ~95% in Barcelona. North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya) sees 40–70%. The eastern seaboard of North America catches a low-Sun partial near sunset.
| City | Max (local) | Inside totality? |
|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 17:48 GMT | Yes · brief totality |
| A Coruña | 20:28 CEST | Yes · ~1 min 20 s |
| Burgos · León · Zamora | 20:30 CEST | Yes · up to 2 min 18 s |
| Bilbao | 20:32 CEST | Yes · ~1 min 30 s |
| Zaragoza | 20:33 CEST | Yes · ~1 min 40 s |
| Valencia | 20:33 CEST | Yes · ~1 min |
| Palma de Mallorca | 20:34 CEST | Yes · ~1 min 30 s |
| Madrid | 20:30 CEST | Partial only · ~90% |
| Barcelona | 20:31 CEST | Partial only · ~95% |
| Lisbon | 19:25 WEST | Partial only · ~85% |
| Paris | 20:09 CEST | Partial only · ~80% |
| London | 19:13 BST | Partial only · ~50% |
| New York | 14:35 EDT | Partial only · low Sun |
In all Spanish cities the eclipse happens close to local sunset — the Sun will be low in the west-northwest, around 6° altitude at maximum. Plan for an unobstructed western horizon (a beach, a hill, a high floor). Inland cloud cover historically favours León, Burgos and Palencia in August; the coast can have late-afternoon marine layer.
Eclipse glasses certified to ISO 12312-2. The only safe filter for direct viewing. Check the standard is printed on the glasses; buy from an established astronomy retailer (AAS publishes a vetted list). Inspect for scratches before use — discard any with damage. Children must be supervised at all times.
Solar filters on telescopes and cameras. Full-aperture white-light or Hα filters that fit over the objective lens (not the eyepiece — eyepiece filters can crack under heat). Pinhole projector. A cardboard pinhole projects a safe image of the Sun on a second sheet — no equipment, no risk. Welder's glass shade 14 or higher is the only welder's filter that is safe; shades below 14 are not.
Ordinary sunglasses (any tint, any brand). Smoked or coloured glass. Photographic film negatives. CDs or DVDs. Polarising filters. Layered sunglasses. Mylar food wrappers. None of these block enough UV and infrared to be safe. They feel comfortable because they cut visible light — but they let through invisible wavelengths that burn the retina.
During the brief seconds of totality, and only inside the path of totality, it is safe to look directly at the eclipsed Sun with the naked eye. This is the moment to remove your glasses, see the corona and the diamond ring, and take it in. The instant the first sliver of Sun returns (the second diamond ring), glasses go back on immediately. If you are anywhere outside the path of totality, glasses stay on the entire eclipse.
| Date (UTC) | Type | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2026 | Total | Greenland · Iceland · N Spain · totality 2 min 18 s |
| Feb 6, 2027 | Annular | S Pacific · Argentina · Chile · S Atlantic |
| Aug 2, 2027 | Total | Spain · Morocco · Algeria · Libya · Egypt · Saudi Arabia · totality 6 min 23 s |
| Jan 26, 2028 | Annular | Galápagos · Brazil · Suriname · Spain · Portugal · annularity ~10 min |
| Jul 22, 2028 | Total | Australia (Sydney) · New Zealand · totality 5 min 10 s |
| Jan 14, 2029 | Partial | N America · Mexico |
| Jun 12, 2029 | Partial | Arctic · N Europe |
| Dec 5, 2029 | Partial | S America · Antarctica |
| Jun 1, 2030 | Annular | Algeria · Tunisia · Greece · Turkey · Russia · China · Japan · annularity ~5 min |
| Nov 25, 2030 | Total | S Africa · Indian Ocean · Australia · totality 3 min 44 s |
The next four years are exceptional: three total solar eclipses cross Spain or its neighbourhood (Aug 2026, Aug 2027, and the Jan 2028 annular). For travellers, Egypt 2027 offers up to 6 min 23 s of totality — the longest from land between 1991 and 2114.