MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – A total solar eclipse took place on August 12, 2026, crossing the Russian Arctic before continuing over the North Atlantic and into Europe. According to State Space Corporation Roscosmos, the eclipse started over Russia’s remote northern regions around 17:00 GMT. The Moon’s shadow then moved across Greenland and Iceland, reaching Spain and northeastern Portugal near sunset. The path of totality was confined to a narrow corridor, while surrounding areas across Europe, North America, and Africa experienced only a partial eclipse.
NASA estimates indicated the moment of greatest eclipse occurred at 17:45:53.8 UTC over the North Atlantic. Totality in that region lasted approximately two minutes and 18 seconds. The width of the totality zone at maximum eclipse was about 294 kilometers. During this phase, the Moon completely covered the Sun’s luminous disk, revealing the solar corona—the Sun’s outer atmosphere visible when the photosphere is blocked. Outside the umbra, viewers saw only a partial covering of the Sun.
The first region to experience totality was northern Russia, as the lunar shadow entered the Arctic zone. The shadow then crossed the Arctic Ocean and eastern Greenland before reaching western Iceland. The path included Reykjavík and then extended southward across the North Atlantic toward the Iberian Peninsula. In late afternoon, northern Spain experienced totality, with a small northeastern part of Portugal also falling within the totality corridor. The majority of Europe, along with parts of northwestern Africa and North America, observed a partial eclipse.
Moon’s shadow crosses Arctic and Atlantic
During the final land phase of totality, the eclipse passed over a broad section of northern Spain. Crowds gathered in cities, towns, and rural viewing sites across the northern and central regions of the country. This event marked Spain’s first total solar eclipse in over a century. In many locations, the Sun was completely obscured just before sunset, with the low solar angle positioning the darkened Sun near the western horizon. This timing made Spain one of the last major viewing areas along the eclipse path.
Viewing conditions varied greatly along the route. Much of Reykjavík was covered by clouds during totality, limiting direct observation from the Icelandic capital. Western Iceland experienced clearer skies in some areas. Similarly, many locations in Spain enjoyed clearer conditions as the Sun neared sunset. Observers there saw the Moon fully cover the solar disk during the brief central phase, while partial phases lasted longer because only part of the Sun was obscured before and after totality. Larger surrounding regions remained outside the totality corridor.
Spain witnesses total eclipse near sunset
In the partial eclipse zones, the extent of the Sun obscuration varied depending on location. Most of Canada and much of Europe experienced only a partial eclipse. Parts of the northern United States also fell within the broader visibility area, as did regions in northwestern Africa. To view the eclipse directly during all partial phases, observers outside the totality zone needed certified solar filters. They could remove eye protection only during the brief totality, resuming protection immediately after.
The land-based phase in Europe ended as the Moon’s shadow crossed the Iberian Peninsula near sunset. The event linked remote Arctic territories with Greenland, Iceland, and southwestern Europe along a continuous path. Regions such as northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small part of Portugal all experienced totality, while wider regions across three continents observed only the partial phases. This eclipse followed the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse over North America, with the 2026 path primarily focused on the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.