Total solar eclipse to cross Spain for first time in over a century

For the first time in over a century, mainland Spain will lie directly in the path of a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. The rare celestial event will also be visible in Iceland, Greenland, and a small section of Portugal.

The eclipse will occur shortly before sunset. The Moon will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun, completely obscuring the solar disk along a narrow path stretching from the North Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The phenomenon begins in Russia around 20:00 Greece time, crosses the Northern Hemisphere, passes over Greenland, and then traverses the Atlantic Ocean.

While the eclipse will be visible in a portion of Iceland and a band across Spain, from Oviedo to Palma de Mallorca, passing north of Madrid, the totality phase will be brief. The maximum duration of totality will be about 2 minutes and 18 seconds, recorded off Iceland's west coast. As the eclipse reaches Spain, this phase will be reduced to approximately one minute.

The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA will both provide live broadcasts of the eclipse. ESA's broadcast begins at 19:30 Greece time, while NASA's starts at 20:15 Greece time. The Moon's shadow will travel approximately 8,260 kilometers in about 90 minutes, moving from the North Pole region southward, mostly over the Atlantic Ocean. Although Greece will not be in the path of totality, a very small partial eclipse will be visible, mainly in its western and northwestern regions.