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Total solar eclipse Aug. 12, 2026 live updates β 1 week to go
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- DeepHorus
Europe is counting down to its first total solar eclipse since 1999. On Aug. 12, 2026, the moon's shadow will sweep across Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and the Balearic Islands. In the narrow path of totality, day will briefly become twilight as the sun's corona appears.
Millions across much of Europe, as well as parts of the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada, will see a partial eclipse. The moon will appear to take a bite out of the sun, dimming the daylight. This is the continent's first total solar eclipse in 27 years.
Space.com's Daisy Dobrijevic is aboard HX Expeditions' MS Spitsbergen in East Greenland. She will try to witness totality from Scoresby Sund, the world's largest fjord system. Anthony Wood is in Valoria la Buena, Spain, with the DEB initiative, where the eclipsed sun sits low before sunset.
Dobrijevic hopes for better luck than her previous eclipse attempt, which was a "total bust." Wood is about to see his first total solar eclipse. Both will bring live updates from the path of totality.
The eclipse is a valuable chance for citizen science. The DEB project will broadcast the event from multiple locations. This data may help researchers study the corona and space weather.
Excitement is building as the countdown enters its final week. The Space.com team will provide live coverage from Greenland and Spain. Clear skies would make for a spectacular show.
For Europe, this is a once-in-a-generation event. After Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse visible on the continent will not occur for many years. Millions will look skyward as the moon covers the sun.
