A Total Solar Eclipse Is Coming in August 2026 — Here's What You Need to Know

On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, the Moon will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the Sun's light along a narrow strip of the Northern Hemisphere. This is called a total solar eclipse. The strip where the total eclipse is visible — the path of totality — starts in far northern Siberia, crosses the Arctic and North Atlantic, and passes over Greenland, Iceland, and Spain (NASA Earth Observatory; NASA GSFC Eclipse). Outside that strip, viewers across Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific will see a partial eclipse at best — where the Moon covers only part of the Sun — or nothing at all (NSO; Wikipedia).

The partial phase first becomes visible at 15:34:15 UTC (11:34:15 a.m. local), with maximum eclipse occurring at 17:46:06 UTC (1:46:06 p.m.) on August 12 (timeanddate.com). UTC is the global reference time, but what you actually see depends on where you live.

In the United States, the partial phase begins at 7:34 a.m. AKDT in Alaska (timeanddate.com — USA). In Canada, it starts at 8:38 a.m. MST (timeanddate.com — Canada). Across the northern contiguous United States, the partial phase begins around midday and lingers into mid-afternoon for locations farther east (NASA). In Alaska and northern Canada, the eclipse starts and ends in the morning hours (NASA). So while the event is a total eclipse globally, people in the U.S. and Canada will only see a partial one (timeanddate.com — USA; timeanddate.com — Canada).

The geographic spread of partial visibility within the United States is broad. From Alaska to North Carolina, the August 12 eclipse appears as a partial eclipse (NASA What's Up). Maine sees up to 28% partial solar eclipse coverage (Space.com). Many other places in the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of the northern U.S., will also experience a partial solar eclipse (NASA). The remainder of Europe and parts of North America and Africa see a partial eclipse as well (NASA GSFC Eclipse).

The August 12 event is part of a cluster of 2026 eclipses. An annular solar eclipse — where the Moon covers the Sun's center but leaves a bright ring of light visible around the edges — occurred on February 17, 2026. A total lunar eclipse followed on March 3, 2026. A partial lunar eclipse is due on August 28, 2026 (NASA GSFC Eclipse). Eclipses tend to cluster together like this because of a recurring pattern called the saros cycle, which brings the Sun, Earth, and Moon back into similar alignment at predictable intervals.

The path of totality for this eclipse is notable for its transoceanic trajectory. Originating in far northern Siberia, the Moon's dark central shadow tracks south through the Arctic, crosses the North Atlantic, and makes landfall over Iceland before reaching Spain (NASA GSFC Eclipse). Greenland also lies within the totality corridor (NASA Earth Observatory). This routing places some of the most densely populated totality-accessible points in western Europe, particularly on the Iberian Peninsula, where the eclipse concludes its overland passage.

For observers in North America, the geometry is less favorable. The Moon's dark central shadow does not cross the continent, meaning no location in the U.S. or Canada experiences totality. Think of the Moon's shadow as having two parts: a dark center and a lighter outer edge. North America gets only the lighter, outer part, which covers a wide area but fades the farther you are from the center. That's why Maine sees only 28% of the Sun covered, while Alaska, closer to the Arctic path, sees the eclipse in the morning but still misses the total phase.

The timing details matter for anyone planning to watch. The 15:34:15 UTC onset of the partial phase and the 17:46:06 UTC maximum provide the global framework, but local circumstances shift with longitude. The morning onset in Alaska and the midday onset in the northern contiguous states reflect the west-to-east progression of the lunar shadow across the continent. For European observers along or near the totality path, the eclipse unfolds in the late afternoon and early evening local time, with the Iberian Peninsula among the last landmasses to experience the event before the shadow departs over the Atlantic.

The broader context here is that for most North Americans, this will be a modest celestial event rather than a dramatic one. The partial phases visible across the U.S. and Canada will not produce the full daylight-to-twilight transformation that makes total eclipses so striking. One important note: even a partial eclipse requires proper eye protection. Looking at the partially blocked Sun without certified solar filters can cause permanent eye damage.