MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse was visible across the Russian Arctic before moving into the North Atlantic and continuing over Europe. State Space Corporation Roscosmos reported that the eclipse began over Russia’s remote northern territories around 17:00 GMT. The Moon’s shadow then crossed Greenland and Iceland before reaching Spain and northeastern Portugal near sunset. Totality was confined to a narrow corridor, while surrounding areas across Europe, North America, and Africa experienced a partial eclipse.
NASA estimates showed the greatest eclipse occurring at 17:45:53.8 UTC over the North Atlantic. The duration of totality in that region was approximately two minutes and 18 seconds. The totality path measured around 294 kilometers across at the peak. During this phase, the Moon completely covered the Sun’s bright disk, revealing the solar corona — the Sun’s outer atmosphere that becomes visible when the photosphere is blocked. Outside the umbra, observers saw only a partial coverage of the Sun.
The first region to experience totality was northern Russia as the lunar shadow entered the Arctic zone. From there, it crossed the Arctic Ocean and eastern Greenland before reaching western Iceland. The path of totality included Reykjavík and then moved southward across the North Atlantic toward the Iberian Peninsula. Late in the day, northern Spain witnessed totality, with a small area of northeastern Portugal also falling within the totality corridor. Most other parts of Europe, as well as northwestern Africa and some regions of North America, experienced only a partial eclipse.
Moon’s shadow crosses Arctic and Atlantic regions
During the final land phase of totality, the eclipse pathway traversed a large portion of northern Spain. Crowds gathered across cities, towns, and rural sites in the northern and central parts of the country. 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 angle positioning the darkened Sun near the western horizon. This timing made Spain one of the last major viewing areas along the eclipse’s path.
Viewing conditions varied significantly along the route. Many parts of Reykjavík experienced cloud cover during totality, limiting direct observation from the Icelandic capital. However, some western areas of Iceland experienced clearer skies. Several Spanish locations also had relatively clear conditions as the eclipse neared sunset, allowing viewers to see the Moon completely obscure the solar disk during the brief central phase. The partial phases lasted longer in most locations because the Moon only partially covered the Sun before and after totality. Larger surrounding regions outside the totality corridor observed only partial eclipse.
Spain witnesses total eclipse near sunset
In the partial eclipse zones, the extent of the Sun covered by the Moon varied depending on the observer’s location. Most of Canada and much of Europe experienced partial coverage, along with parts of the northern United States. Northwestern Africa also saw a partial eclipse. Observers outside the totality zone needed certified solar filters for safe direct viewing during all partial phases. They could only remove eye protection during the brief moments of totality, resuming use immediately afterward as direct sunlight returned.
The European land phase ended as the Moon’s shadow crossed the Iberian Peninsula near sunset. This eclipse connected the remote Arctic area with Greenland, Iceland, and southwestern Europe through a continuous path. Regions in northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small part of Portugal all lay within the totality corridor, while larger parts of three continents experienced the partial phase. The August 12 event followed the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse over North America. In 2026, the eclipse path mainly centered on the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.