Total Solar Eclipse Sweeps Across Europe on August 12

By Aurax Radio | August 12, 2026 | 2 min read

A total solar eclipse is crossing the Northern Hemisphere on Wednesday, briefly turning daytime skies dark along a narrow path stretching from the Arctic through Greenland and Iceland to Spain. Millions of people elsewhere across Europe and parts of North America are also able to see the moon partially cover the sun.

A silhouette of a hand holding up a pair of eyeglasses against a bright orange sunset sky, framing the glowing sun between the lenses.

Observers prepare viewing gear as demand for protective equipment surges across Europe ahead of the eclipse.

The eclipse is the only total solar eclipse of 2026 and is the first total eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999. Totality occurs when the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun and completely blocks the solar disk, allowing the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, to become visible. The path of totality crosses Greenland, western Iceland, northern Spain and the Balearic Islands, while a much wider area experiences a partial eclipse.

Spain is drawing particularly large crowds, with authorities preparing for hundreds of thousands of additional visitors and deploying extensive resources because the eclipse coincides with a period of extreme summer heat and elevated wildfire danger. Iceland is also expecting large numbers of visitors, with the eclipse representing the country's first total solar eclipse visible from the island since 1954. The event has prompted increased demand for viewing equipment and travel accommodations in locations along the path of totality.

The eclipse will last only a few minutes at most locations within the path of totality, making precise timing and clear skies important for observers. Outside the narrow totality zone, the moon will cover only part of the sun, with the degree of coverage varying by location. NASA is also providing live coverage of the event, while astronomers and researchers are using the eclipse to study the sun's atmosphere and Earth's response to the temporary change in solar radiation.

Sources: Associated Press, BBC, Space.com, NASA and Reuters.

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