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Total Solar Eclipse August 12: Path, Timing and Viewing Guide
On the evening of August 12, the Moon will slide in front of the Sun and completely cover it.
This is called a total solar eclipse.
The sky will turn dark for a minute or two along a thin path across parts of Europe.
Spain is the best place to watch, because it is the only crowded area in the path of the full eclipse.
People in parts of Iceland and Portugal will also see the Sun fully covered.
In other places like Dublin, Paris and London, the Moon will cover most of the Sun, but not all of it.
In New York and Chicago, only a tiny part of the Sun will be hidden.
People in India will not see it at all, because it happens in the middle of their night.
This night is extra special because the peak of the Perseid meteor shower happens at the same time, so skywatchers can see shooting stars right after the eclipse.
The Moon also looks a little bigger than usual, which makes the eclipse last a bit longer.
The first total solar eclipse since April 2024 will occur on the evening of August 12, with totality lasting just over one minute to nearly two minutes.
The path of totality runs from the Arctic across eastern Greenland and western Iceland, brushes northeastern Portugal near Montesinho Natural Park, and crosses northern Spain from west to east.
Spain is the only heavily populated region in the path, with peak totality around 8:32-8:33 pm CEST; Iceland sees totality at 5:48 pm GMT.
Partial coverage includes Dublin at 94%, Paris at 92% and London at 91%, while New York gets only 9%, Washington DC 4% and Chicago 0.1%.
The eclipse coincides with lunar perigee and the peak night of the Perseid meteor shower, and is the first to sweep across the Iberian Peninsula in over a hundred years.
- Who
- Skywatchers across Spain, Iceland, Portugal and the rest of Europe and North America.
- What
- A total solar eclipse, the first anywhere on Earth since April 2024, will plunge a narrow strip of Europe into darkness for up to nearly two minutes.
- Where
- The path crosses the Arctic, eastern Greenland, western Iceland, northeastern Portugal and northern Spain; a partial eclipse is visible across the rest of Europe and part of North America.
- When
- The evening of August 12, with peak totality around 8:32-8:33 pm CEST in Spain and 5:48 pm GMT in Iceland.
- Why
- The Moon will completely cover the Sun along the path of totality, an event stretched by lunar perigee and coinciding with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
Key facts
- Type
- Total solar eclipse
- Date
- August 12 (evening)
- Previous total solar eclipse
- April 2024
- Totality duration
- Just over one minute to nearly two minutes
- Peak time in Spain
- 8:32-8:33 pm CEST
- Peak time in Iceland
- 5:48 pm GMT
- Partial coverage examples
- Dublin 94%, Paris 92%, London 91%; New York 9%, St John's 53%
- Coinciding events
- Lunar perigee and Perseid meteor shower peak
Sources
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