About our Solar Eclipse news
Latest news on Solar Eclipse, covering the total eclipse over Iceland, Spain and Greenland, eclipse glasses, path of totality maps and future eclipse dates.
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, briefly blocking its light. Eclipses fall into three types: total, when the Moon fully covers the Sun; annular, when a bright ring remains visible; and partial, when only part of the Sun is obscured. Their timing follows the Saros cycle, a repeating pattern that lets astronomers predict eclipses centuries in advance. A total eclipse is only visible from a narrow path of totality, while a much wider region experiences a partial eclipse.
A total solar eclipse takes place on 12 August 2026, crossing the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and the northern half of Spain, with a sliver of totality reaching northeast Portugal. Greatest eclipse falls at 17:47 UTC, with totality lasting up to two minutes and eighteen seconds, and local viewing times ranging from midday in remote northern Russia to early evening in Spain, shortly before sunset. It marks the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe in decades, drawing large numbers of eclipse chasers to the region, while a partial eclipse is visible across much of Europe, North Africa, North America and the Arctic. Anyone viewing the event needs certified eclipse glasses or a solar filter, since looking directly at the Sun outside totality can cause permanent eye damage.
Solar eclipses have unsettled and fascinated people for thousands of years, inspiring stories across nearly every culture. Norse legend blamed sky wolves chasing down the Sun, while ancient Egyptians described the serpent Apep swallowing the sun god Ra. Hindu mythology tells of the demon Rahu pursuing the Sun in revenge, and Vietnamese folklore blames a giant frog. Many communities responded with noise and ritual, banging drums or pots to frighten the perceived threat away, a tradition echoed today in the excitement and shared awe of modern eclipse viewing.
The earliest confirmed eclipse records date back roughly 3,000 years, inscribed by Chinese astronomers on oracle bones, with some researchers pointing to even older Irish rock carvings. The word 'eclipse' comes from the Greek 'ekleipsis', meaning abandonment or disappearance. Babylonian astronomers first identified the cyclical nature of eclipses, laying the groundwork for the precise predictions used today. Total eclipses also give scientists a rare chance to study the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, which is normally hidden by its glare.
Further total solar eclipses are already mapped out for the coming years. One crosses Spain, North Africa and the Middle East, offering an exceptionally long period of totality and passing over major population centres. Another sweeps across Australia and New Zealand, following an earlier eclipse limited to the Southern Hemisphere. An annular eclipse is also due to pass over Spain, Portugal and South America, continuing a run of eclipses visible from the Iberian Peninsula.
Stay up to date with our Solar Eclipse feed for the latest eclipse dates, path of totality maps, viewing safety advice and coverage of upcoming total, partial and annular eclipses around the world.
