A spectacular solar eclipse is coming. Here’s how to see it. 

On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will have the moon’s shadow race across our planet. The narrow path of totality will cross Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and a small portion of Portugal. Across a much wider region—including parts of Canada and the northern United States—the moon will partially cover the sun.

Here’s where the eclipse will be visible, what makes totality so extraordinary, and how to watch the event safely.

What causes a total solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, casting its shadow onto our planet. A total solar eclipse, in which the moon completely obscures the sun, is possible because of an extraordinary coincidence: Although the sun is roughly 400 times wider than the moon, it is also about 400 times farther away.

“This is why the moon is able, sometimes, to block our view of the sun and do so in a way that just barely manages to cover the sun,” says Jack Welch, a docent at the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Sonoma County, California.

So why doesn’t this happen every month? The moon’s orbit is tilted by about five degrees relative to Earth’s path around the sun, so the three bodies don’t always align. During most new moons, the lunar shadow passes above or below Earth. If it clips the Earth, we may experience a partial solar eclipse.

The moon’s orbit is also slightly elliptical, meaning its distance from Earth varies. When the moon is farther away, it can appear too small to cover the sun completely even if all three celestial bodies align. The result is an annular eclipse, in which a bright “ring of fire” remains visible around the moon.

Where will the August 2026 eclipse be visible?

The August 12 eclipse will cross remote parts of the Arctic before passing over Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small section of northwestern Portugal. Totality will begin at the first location at about 4:58 p.m. UTC and end at the last at about 6:34 p.m. UTC. The eclipse will reach its maximum at 5:46 p.m. UTC, when totality will last up to two minutes and 18 seconds along the center of the path.

The sun’s position will vary considerably across the route. “Iceland and Greenland will see totality higher in the sky in the late afternoon while Spain will see totality just before sunset,” says Emily Watson, an astrophysicist and planetarium supervisor at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

(Amazing sights you can only spot while viewing a solar eclipse)

The low sun could make Spain’s eclipse especially dramatic, but it also introduces practical difficulties. Mountains, buildings, trees, or clouds near the horizon could block the view so that observers will need a clear westward line of sight.

Outside the path of totality, viewers across a much broader portion of the Northern Hemisphere will see a partial eclipse. It will unfold during the morning in Alaska and northern Canada, around midday and into the afternoon across parts of the northern United States and eastern Canada, and during the evening across much of Europe and western Africa.

What’s the difference between a partial and total solar eclipse?

During a partial eclipse, the moon covers only part of the sun. Even when 99 percent of the solar disk is hidden, the remaining sliver is bright enough to keep the sky relatively light and obscure the sun’s faint outer atmosphere, called the corona.

During totality, daylight fades into twilight, and the moon appears as a black disk surrounded by the glowing coronal halo. Animals may also react to the abrupt change in light: Birds, for instance, may fall unexpectedly quiet then burst into a dawn chorus as daylight returns, no matter the hour.

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“A total solar eclipse is very much all or nothing,” Watson says. “Experiencing totality is a truly unique and awe-inspiring event; experiencing partiality is just neat.”

Are total solar eclipses rare?

In terms of frequency, total solar eclipses are not rare, occurring about once every 18 months. But the path of totality is typically only tens of miles wide, making it challenging to be in the right place to witness a total solar eclipse.

That path also shifts with every eclipse. “Because the path of totality is very small compared to the size of the Earth, the chance that it will occur at some fixed location is very low,” says Welch. A particular city might wait hundreds of years—or longer—between total eclipses, although travelers willing to chase the shadow can see several in a lifetime.

The next total solar eclipse will occur on August 2, 2027, crossing parts of southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Totality will last as long as six minutes and 23 seconds—nearly three times longer than the August 2026 eclipse.

What can scientists learn during an eclipse?

“Historically, eclipses were quite valuable,” says Jason Steffen, a physics and astronomy professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “There were expeditions to measure the positions of stars during an eclipse in the early 1900s to test Einstein’s theory of gravity.”

(How do animals respond to eclipses? Help NASA find out.)

Scientists still study total solar eclipses today. For instance, because totality reveals the corona, astronomers use eclipses to examine its structure, temperature, and connection to the solar wind.

How can you see the eclipse?

Consult an eclipse map and position yourself inside the path of totality—monitor the weather and stay flexible enough to move if clouds threaten your view. Photographers and videographers should practice beforehand, since the event will be fairly brief.

During the event, do not look directly into the sun without eye protection, such as eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers. Ordinary sunglasses are not sufficient. Only viewers inside the path of totality may remove their eclipse glasses, and only while the sun is completely covered.

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For indirect viewing, a simple pinhole projector works well. Or you can improvise. “I often just use a vegetable colander,” says Steffen. “Each round hole in the colander will make an image of the moon and sun.”

Whatever you do, make sure you are fully present in the moment. “Take time to simply look up and enjoy the event,” Watson says. “Totality lasts only a few minutes, and the memory of seeing totality with your own eyes is something you’ll carry with you forever.”