MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – On August 12, 2026, a complete solar eclipse will sweep across the Russian Arctic and then head towards Europe. The event will start over isolated northern regions of Russia around 17:00 GMT. Roscosmos has reported that the eclipse’s beginning coincides with the Moon’s shadow entering the high Arctic. From there, the shadow will traverse the Arctic Ocean, eastern Greenland, and western Iceland before reaching northern Spain and a small section of northeastern Portugal near sunset.
The eclipse’s peak will occur over the North Atlantic at 17:45:53.8 UTC. According to NASA, the maximum duration of totality will be approximately two minutes and 18 seconds. The central path of the eclipse spans roughly 294 kilometers at this point. During the period of totality, the Moon will completely obscure the Sun’s bright surface, revealing the solar corona around the dark lunar disk. Regions outside this central zone will experience a partial eclipse, with only part of the Sun obscured, rather than total darkness.
Initially, the shadow reached northern Russia and then moved westward across the Arctic region. It crossed eastern Greenland before passing over western Iceland and continuing into the Atlantic Ocean. The Icelandic capital, Reykjavík, was within the path of totality, although cloud cover affected viewing conditions there. As the eclipse moved southward, the Sun’s lower position in the sky caused it to approach the western horizon over the Iberian Peninsula. Northern Spain emerged as one of the last significant populated areas to witness totality.
Totality moves across Arctic and Atlantic
In Spain, the eclipse will occur late in the day, with many locations experiencing totality just before sunset. This marks Spain’s first total solar eclipse in over a hundred years. Citizens across northern and central Spain will gather to observe the Moon cover the Sun, which will be near the western horizon due to its low elevation. Clear skies in several parts of Spain will allow spectators to see the entire eclipse phase before daylight returns.
Weather conditions along the eclipse path will vary. In Iceland, including Reykjavík, cloud cover and rain will hinder direct observation in some areas. Other locations along the route will benefit from clearer skies. During the partial phases, the Moon will only cover part of the Sun, leaving daylight intact. These partial phases last longer than the totality and cover a wider area, with Europe, northwestern Africa, and parts of North America experiencing some level of partial eclipse.
Final European phase of the eclipse
Spectators outside the totality corridor must use proper solar protection throughout the partial eclipse. Certified eclipse glasses or approved solar filters are essential to shield eyes from direct sunlight. These protections should only be removed during the brief window of totality when the Moon completely covers the Sun. Once totality ends, viewers must reapply their solar protection as sunlight reappears. The same safety precautions apply before and after totality, even in areas where only a partial eclipse is visible.
As the Moon’s shadow moves away from Europe after crossing the Iberian Peninsula near sunset, regions including northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and northeastern Portugal will be along the totality route. A much larger portion of Europe, Africa, and North America will experience the partial phases of the eclipse. This event on August 12 follows the total solar eclipse seen across North America on April 8, 2024. Unlike that event, which was centered on North America, the 2026 eclipse will predominantly focus on the Arctic, North Atlantic, and western Europe, connecting several distant regions along a continuous path.