MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse traced a path across the Russian Arctic before moving into the North Atlantic and onward into Europe. According to State Space Corporation Roscosmos, the eclipse commenced over Russia’s distant northern territories around 17:00 GMT. The Moon’s shadow then advanced over Greenland and Iceland, culminating in Spain and northeastern Portugal near sunset. The full eclipse was visible only along a narrow corridor, while surrounding regions across Europe, North America, and Africa experienced a partial eclipse.
NASA estimates indicated that the peak eclipse occurred at 17:45:53.8 UTC over the North Atlantic, where totality persisted for approximately two minutes and 18 seconds. At the moment of greatest eclipse, the totality zone spanned roughly 294 kilometers in width. During this phase, the Moon completely obscured the Sun’s bright disk, revealing the solar corona—the Sun’s outer atmosphere—visible only when the photosphere is blocked. Outside the umbra, observers only saw a partial coverage of the Sun.
Initially, northern Russia experienced totality as the lunar shadow entered the Arctic zone. The shadow then crossed the Arctic Ocean and eastern Greenland, before reaching western Iceland. The eclipse path included Reykjavík and extended southward across the North Atlantic toward the Iberian Peninsula. In the late afternoon, northern Spain was immersed in totality, with a small section of northeastern Portugal also falling within the totality corridor. Much of the rest of Europe, along with northwestern Africa and parts of North America, observed only a partial eclipse.
Moon’s shadow spans Arctic and Atlantic regions
During the final land phase of totality, the eclipse traversed a broad area of northern Spain. Crowds gathered across cities, towns, and rural sites in the northern and central regions for viewing. This event marked Spain’s first total solar eclipse in over a century. In many locations, the Moon fully covered the Sun just before sunset, with the low solar position placing the darkened Sun near the western horizon. This timing made Spain one of the last major viewing spots in the eclipse path.
Viewing conditions varied significantly along the route. Cloud cover over Reykjavík limited visibility during totality, though western parts of Iceland had clearer skies. Many Spanish locations also experienced clearer conditions as the Sun neared sunset. Observers there saw the Moon entirely cover the solar disk during the short central phase. The partial phases lasted longer in many areas, as the Moon only partially obscured the Sun before and after totality. Larger surrounding regions remained outside the totality corridor.
Spain witnesses total eclipse near sunset
In the partial eclipse zones, the Moon’s coverage of the Sun varied by location. Most of Canada and much of Europe experienced a partial eclipse, as did parts of the northern United States and northwestern Africa. Viewers outside the totality region needed certified solar filters for direct observation throughout the partial phases, removing protection only during the brief totality period. Once the Sun reappeared, eye protection was again essential.
The European land phase concluded as the Moon’s shadow crossed the Iberian Peninsula near sunset. The eclipse connected remote Arctic zones with Greenland, Iceland, and southwestern Europe along a continuous path. Northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small part of Portugal all lay within the totality corridor, while wider areas across three continents experienced partial phases. This August 12 event followed the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse across North America, with the 2026 route primarily centered over the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.