Yesterday (Aug.12), millions of people enjoyed a total solar eclipse as it swept across parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, while a partial solar eclipse was visible across much of Europe and northwest Africa.
If all that eclipse excitement has you eager for more, the good news is you won't have to wait long, because two remarkable solar eclipses are coming in 2027. First comes a dramatic "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse on Feb 6, followed six months later by the total solar eclipse on Aug. 2 — an event many eclipse chasers are already calling the "eclipse of the century".
First up, a dazzling "ring of fire"
On Feb. 6, 2027, an annular solar eclipse will be visible across parts of Chile, Argentina and the coastal parts of West Africa, while the partial phase of the eclipse where the moon takes a "bite" out of the sun will be visible across South America and West Africa.
An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon passes directly in front of the sun when it is slightly farther away from Earth than during a total solar eclipse. As such, the moon appears a little smaller in the sky and doesn't completely cover the sun, leaving a brilliant ring of sunlight around the moon's silhouette, the "ring of fire".
The global path of the 'ring of fire' annular solar eclipse on Feb. 6, 2027. (Image credit: Created and annotated by Jamie Carter using MapHub.net. Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community. Eclipse path from Xavier Jubier.))
The "eclipse of the century"
If the "ring of fire" eclipse wasn't enough, 2027 serves up another, even more spectacular eclipse.
On Aug. 2, 2027, the moon's shadow will race across southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, treating skywatchers with one of the longest total solar eclipses of the century. At its greatest point, totality will last an extraordinary 6 minutes and 23 seconds — more than twice as long as many other total solar eclipses.
Created using MapHub.net. Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community), path from Xavier M JubierCreated using MapHub.net. Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community), path from Xavier M JubierCreated using MapHub.net. Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community), path from Xavier M JubierCreated using MapHub.net. Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community), path from Xavier M Jubier
Combined with favorable August weather across parts of North Africa, it's easy to see why many eclipse enthusiasts are already planning their trips in advance.
If you're thinking about experiencing the Aug. 2, 2027 total solar eclipse for yourself, now is the perfect time to start planning. We've rounded up expert travel tips to help you choose the best viewing location and avoid common pitfalls, as well as 10 unforgettable tours and experiences that will put you right in the heart of one of the greatest celestial events of the century.
Total solar eclipses are incredible moments in time, but they are fleeting. As the moon passes directly in front of the sun and its shadow sweeps across Earth's surface, the temperature drops and the light takes on an eerie twilight quality. Birds and other animals go quiet. It's a spectacle unlike any other. And for millions today who were lucky enough to be in the path of totality across Greenland, Iceland and Spain, that's exactly what they experienced.
"I cannot believe what I just witnessed. I knew what to expect — I've seen thousands of photos but nothing compares to that feeling you get when you watch the sun transform before your very eyes," Space.com skywatching editor Daisy Dobrijevic said after watching the eclipse from the deck of the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage in Scoresby Sund, Greenland on Aug. 12, 2026.
The sun during a total solar eclipse as seen from the deck of the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage in Scoresby Sund, Greenland on Aug. 12, 2026. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)
"It looked so big in the sky with the delicate corona streaming out into the abyss. Jupiter, Mercury and Venus even joined in the show. The huge prominence was the icing on the cake," Dobrijevic added.
"This is something I will never forget and I feel privileged to have experienced it in one of the most remarkable environments on Earth and alongside an incredible group of people aboard HX Expedition's MS Spitsbergen."
The sun during a total solar eclipse as seen from deck of the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage in Scoresby Sund on Aug. 12, 2026. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)
The 182 mile-wide (293-kilometer) path of totality — the line "drawn" on the face our our planet by the moon's shadow — began near Siberia over the Arctic Ocean and first arced down into eastern Greenland.
From there, the path stretched across western Iceland and then into northern Spain where millions gathered to witness the spectacle.
"It was the most incredible thing I've seen in my entire life," said Space.com skywatching writer Anthony Wood after witnessing the eclipse from Valoria la Buena, Spain alongside a team of citizen scientists from the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast initiative. "It feels like it really shouldn't be happening. It strikes the lizard part of your brain that just tells you that this shouldn't be real."
A total solar eclipse as seen in Valoria la Buena, Spain on Aug. 12, 2026. (Image credit: Anthony Wood/Future)
The path then crossed the Balearic Islands just east of Spain before ending over the Mediterranean Sea as the sun set.
A total solar eclipse is seen above the mountains on Aug. 12, 2026 in Segur de Calafell, Spain. (Image credit: Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Eclipse-watchers inside the narrow path of the moon's shadow were given a rare naked-eye glimpse of the sun's outer atmosphere, known as the corona. Witnessing the crown-like shape of the corona stretching away from the dark shadow of the moon is one of the most breathtaking moments of an eclipse. Photographs don't do it justice, as they rarely do.
A total solar eclipse is seen from San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain, Aug. 12, 2026. (Image credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)
Outside of the path of totality, skywatchers throughout Europe and Scandinavia were able to catch a glimpse of a partial solar eclipse — in which the moon appears to take a "bite" out of the sun.
Space.com's Harry Bennett captured the partial eclipse from a hilltop in Somerset, England, shooting the scene with a Unistellar Equinox 2 smart telescope equipped with a solar filter.
A partial solar eclipse as seen on Aug. 12, 2026 from Kelston Roundhill in Bath, Somerset, England. (Image credit: Harry Bennett/Future)
The partial solar eclipse was also visible for much of the northeastern United States and as far west as Michigan. Much of Canada got to witness the partial eclipse too, and so did Alaska.
A total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026 as seen from Segur de Calafell, Spain. (Image credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
What causes a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes directly in front of the sun as seen from Earth. When this alignment happens, the moon casts its shadow along a line known as the path of totality. Only within this stripe will you be able to experience full totality.
The sun's corona glows as the moon completely blocks the Sun during the totality phase of the total solar eclipse as seen from San Asensio, La Rioja region, on Aug. 12, 2026. (Image credit: Ander Gillenea / AFP via Getty Images)
Another factor to consider is that the moon has an elliptical, or oval-shaped, orbit. This means that it's sometimes closer to Earth than other times. Total solar eclipses only occur when the moon is at just the right distance from Earth, making it appear the same size in the sky as the sun (or even slightly larger). This obscures the blinding light of the sun, allowing viewers to glimpse our star's outer atmosphere, or corona.
The moon passes over the sun's horizon during a partial solar eclipse at Abbadia, le Château Observatoire in Hendaye, southwestern France, on Aug. 12, 2026. (Image credit: Philippe Lopez / AFP via Getty Images)
When the moon is a bit farther away from Earth, it appears relatively smaller. And when solar eclipses fall on a date when the moon is at this greater distance from our planet, the moon doesn't completely block the sun. This creates what's known as an annular solar eclipse, or a "ring of fire" in the sky.
A total solar eclipse is seen on Aug. 12, 2026 in the Riet Vell Nature Reserve in Amposta, Spain. (Image credit: James Breeden/Getty Images)
When is the next total solar eclipse?
The next total solar eclipse will occur on Aug. 2, 2027 and will be visible throughout a 160-mile-wide (258-kilometer) path that crosses southern Spain, northern Morocco, northern Algeria, northern Tunisia, northeast Libya, central Egypt, the northeastern tip of Sudan, southwest Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the northeastern tip of Somalia.
Outside of this path, a partial solar eclipse will be visible to most of Europe, much of the African continent, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, eastern Canada and parts of Maine.
A partial solar eclipse is seen at the Mariager Fjord in Denmark, on Aug. 12, 2026. (Image credit: Bo Amstrup / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images)
In North America, the next total solar eclipse will take place on March 30, 2033, and will be visible from Alaska. Looking farther out, the U.S. states of Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, and areas of Canada will witness a total solar eclipse on Aug. 23, 2044.
Submit your eclipse photos!If you captured a photo of the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send photos, videos, a brief description of your experience, and your name, location and content usage permission release to spacephotos@space.com.
The first breathtaking photos of totality for the total solar eclipse 2026 are pouring in, revealing incredible views of the sun's atmosphere radiating out from behind the moon's colossal silhouette.
Eclipse chasers have spent the past few hours watching in awe, as the moon transformed the sun into an incandescent crescent in the run up to totality, before swallowing it entirely in the skies over Scoresby Sund, Greenland as seen from the deck of the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage.
Read on to see spectacular photos of the sun's corona glowing in the false twilight of totality. And be sure to stay with usin the coming hours as the moon's central shadow sweeps over Europe, before ultimately disappearing from view off the north coast of Africa at 2:34 p.m. EDT (1834 GMT).
First photos of totality
The first photos of totality revealed the sun's corona, visible thanks to the moon blocking most of our star's light.
Totality during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, seen from deck of the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage in Scoresby Sund. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)
Luckily, weather cooperated for the eclipse chasers on the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage in Scoresby Sund, Greenland.
Totality during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, seen from deck of the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage in Scoresby Sund. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)
Space.com's own skywatching editor Daisy Dobrijevic was onboard, capturing the first images of totality.
Totality during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, seen from deck of the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage in Scoresby Sund. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)
As the moon drifted past the sun, the first glimpses of the sun began to reveal themselves as the path of totality moved onwards towards Spain.
Totality during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, seen from deck of the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage in Scoresby Sund. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)
We'll have more coverage on our total solar eclipse live blog throughout the day, including reports from Skywatching Editor Daisy Dobrijevic as she catches the entirety of the eclipse unfolding in the skies over Greenland aboard an HX Expeditions cruise ship.
Totality during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, seen from deck of the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage in Scoresby Sund. (Image credit: Space.com/Daisy Dobrijevic)
Skywatching Writer Anthony Wood will also be giving you the live updates from his vantage point in central Spain, where the eclipsed sun will set below the horizon just a few short hours from now.
Totality during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, seen from deck of the MS Spitsbergen on the HX Expeditions eclipse voyage in Scoresby Sund. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)
Editor's Note: If you would like to share your eclipse photos with Space.com's readers, then please send your image(s), comments, name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Today (Aug. 12), millions of people across Greenland, Iceland and Spain will witness a total solar eclipse as the moon completely covers the sun, turning day into night, albeit briefly.
It's Europe's first total solar eclipse since 1999, and with a maximum of 2 minutes, 18 seconds of totality, it will be worth the wait … weather permitting!
Even if you're not inside the path of totality, there's still plenty to see. A dramatic partial solar eclipse will be visible across much of Europe, offering millions more the chance to watch the moon take a 'bite' out of the sun. More than 90% of the sun will be covered for major cities such as London, Paris and Dublin.
Where will the eclipse be visible?
Today's eclipse will unfold over roughly 96 minutes as the moon's shadow races across Greenland, Iceland and Spain. Totality begins in Greenland in the late afternoon before reaching Spain in the evening, where skywatchers will witness the rare spectacle of a low-horizon sunset eclipse.
Path of totalityCreated using MapHub.net. Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User CommunityPath of totalityCreated using MapHub.net. Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User CommunityPath of totalityCreated using MapHub.net. Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User CommunityPath of totalityCreated using MapHub.net. Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community
What time is the eclipse?
The eclipse occurs at different times depending on your location.
Our eclipse live blogwill bring you the latest updates throughout the day, including weather reports, photos, videos and observations from across Greenland, Iceland and Spain.
We'll also have reporters in the field. Skywatching Editor Daisy Dobrijevic is on an eclipse expedition to Greenland with HX, while Skywatching Writer Anthony Wood is observing from northern Spain with the DEB initiative and a team of citizen scientists.
Follow along throughout the day here on Space.com and our social channels (Instagram and TikTok) as we bring you firsthand reports from the path of totality and share some of the best eclipse images.
How to observe the eclipse
Appropriate eye protection is a must when viewing the sun. (Image credit: Arianne de San Jose van Hoof via Getty Images)
Never look directly at the sun without proper eye protection.
The only time it is safe to view the eclipse without eye protection is during the brief period of totality, when the moon completely covers the sun. As soon as even a small portion of the sun reappears, eclipse glasses must be worn again.
Editor's note: If you capture a photo of the solar eclipse and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
A total solar eclipse isn't just a spectacular sight to witness for those lucky enough to lie in the path of totality (or travel to it, as many dedicated skywatchers do). It also gives scientists a rare chance to study the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, during the day.
As such, NASA plans to take full advantage of the opportunity for the upcoming total solar eclipse happening on Aug 12.
The space agency's WB-57 high-altitude research jet will chase the moon's shadow across the globe, which will extend the agency's ability to capture data from the eclipse. The NASA-supported Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project will also coordinate teams to release balloons that will help us know how our atmosphere changes when an eclipse turns the sky dark during the day.
"From our unique perspective on Earth during a total solar eclipse, scientists can study the sun's corona in a way we can't from anywhere else in the solar system," Kelly Korreck, eclipse program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said in an official announcement.
"The sun impacts our daily life, satellites, and astronauts in space, and we can take advantage of this moment to advance our understanding of that influence," she continued.
NASA's WB-57 jet. (Image credit: NASA)
Inside the research jet's nose cone, four cameras will capture images of the corona's structures, outflows, and changes. This data may help scientists gain a better understanding of how materials within the corona relate to solar winds.
"The sun is always changing," Amir Caspi, principal investigator for the study at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said in the announcement. "Every eclipse is different. So we could see things we didn't see before. And we learn from each eclipse how to better observe the next one."
These images of the corona and solar prominences were taken in different wavelengths of visible and infrared light by imagers aboard a NASA's WB-57 jet during the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse. The same cameras will fly on a NASA WB-57 jet again during the Aug. 12 eclipse. (Image credit: NASA / SwRI / William Ashfield)
Angela Des Jardins at Montana State University will lead the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project, with the help of students from universities in the U.S., Iceland and Spain.
By releasing balloons in anticipation of the eclipse, scientists will be able to look at the ozone levels in the atmosphere during the eclipse and study how the eclipse impacts the "boundary layer" of the Earth, which shifts due to temperature and moisture in the air.
Both the research jet and balloons were used to collect data during the total solar eclipse in April 2024. These new projects will use what NASA learned last time to sharpen up the methods, and hopefully provide new insights into the relationships between the sun, moon, and Earth.
The Aug. 12 total solar eclipse is just one day away! Here's how you can watch the entire show live online from the comfort of your home
Millions of people across Spain, Iceland and Greenland will see the moon completely hide the sun during the climactic phase of totality on Aug. 12. Countless more skywatchers across Europe will witness a deep partial solar eclipse, as the moon's curved silhouette covers a swathe of the sun's surface, while failing to cover it entirely.
Thankfully, we live in modern times. So there's no need for you to miss out on the solar spectacle if you find yourself outside of the path of totality, or if clouds conspire to ruin your view. Here's where to watch every phase of the 2026 total solar eclipse live online.
NASA
NASA will be hosting its own livestream of the event starting at 1:15 p.m. EDT on Aug. 12, featuring live views of totality from cameras spread throughout the path of the eclipse. The visuals will be accompanied by information on the science of the incredible event and details on how the agency is working to learn more about our sun.
Time and Date's YouTube livestream kicks off at 12 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) on Aug. 12, bringing live views of the eclipse from Leon in northwestern Spain and the island of Mallorca, along with live commentary from journalist Anne Buckle and astrophysicist Graham Jones.
The European Space Agency
An official European Space Agency (ESA) livestream will begin at 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT) on Aug. 12. The stream will feature expert commentary on the science of the eclipse along with live views from telescopes at the Observatorio Astrofisco de Javalambre, which is located close to the Spanish city of Teruel directly in the path of totality.
Royal Observatory Greenwich
London's historic Royal Observatory Greenwich will host two simultaneous YouTube streams featuring live views of the partial solar eclipse starting at 1:15 p.m EDT (1815 GMT) on Aug. 12. The first livestream will be presented by Royal Observatory astronomer Greg Brown, who will discuss the science of the sun while providing expert commentary on the eclipse, while the second will offer a silent livestream, featuring visuals of the eclipse with no accompanying audio.
Be sure to check out our live blog for all of the latest news on the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse. We'll also have reports from Skywatching Writer Anthony Wood as he watches the eclipse unfold low in the horizon in central Spain, and also from Skywatching Editor Daisy Dobrijevic as she witnesses the spectacle during a voyage with HX Expeditions to Greenland!
Editor's Note: If you would like to share your eclipse photos with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
While totality will be visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, millions more people across Europe will experience a dramatic partial solar eclipse. Whether you're chasing the moon's shadow in Reykjavik or watching the moon take a 'bite' out of the sun from London, Paris, or Berlin, timing is everything.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves in front of the sun and blocks it from view. (Image credit: Paul Souders/Getty Images)
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves directly between Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun's disk from view.
During totality, the sky darkens significantly, temperatures drop and bright stars and planets can even become visible. Observers can also catch a glimpse of the sun's outer atmosphere, known as the corona, glowing around the silhouetted moon.
Totality — when the sun is completely obscured — is only visible within the narrow path of the moon's shadow. Outside that path, observers may see a partial solar eclipse, whereby only a portion of the sun is covered.
REMEMBER to NEVER look directly at the sun. To view this solar eclipse safely, you must use solar filters. Only during the brief period of totality when the moon completely covers the sun, is it safe to look at the sun without protection. Observers will need to wear solar eclipse glasses, and cameras, telescopes and binoculars must have solar filters placed in front of their lenses at all other times.
After the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, the next solar eclipse will be an annular solar eclipse on Feb. 6, 2027 visible across parts of Africa and South America. The next total solar eclipse will be a spectacular event on Aug. 2, 2027. Visible across North Africa, it will be the longest totality on land since 1991.
Every total solar eclipse is different. While the silhouette of the moon passing across the sun barely changes, the moment our natural satellite covers the entire solar disk, something spectacular happens — the emergence of the corona. The Latin word for "crown", the solar corona is one of the wonders of nature. To gaze upon its delicate, spiky white tendrils during brief moments of totality is to glimpse the infinite, but it's only a glimpse because the corona is always changing. Shaped by the sun's constantly changing magnetic field, the corona evolves from year to year, month to month and even day to day. No two total eclipses ever reveal exactly the same structure.
It's one reason why eclipse chasers keep traveling. The corona visible during the total solar eclipse of Aug. 12, 2026 — if skies are clear — will be a unique snapshot of the sun at a specific moment in Solar Cycle 25. It will reflect years of changing magnetic activity, thousands of sunspots and countless eruptions of solar material.
Once totality ends, that exact configuration of the corona will never be seen again. Can we know in advance what it might look like?
The sun's hidden atmosphere
Under normal circumstances, the sun's corona — our star's outer atmosphere — is invisible. It extends millions of miles into the solar system, but it's overwhelmed by the brilliant light of the sun's photosphere, its visible surface. Totality changes that. When the moon completely covers the photosphere, the corona suddenly emerges. White streamers extend away from the black silhouette of the moon. Pink loops and prominences can appear around the edge of the moon.
For many first-time observers, the greatest surprise during totality is not only the detail but the scale. The corona often appears much larger than expected, extending several solar diameters away from the eclipsed sun. Photographs can capture some of that complexity, but they rarely reproduce the impression of depth and structure visible to the human eye, whose dynamic range is vastly superior to any camera.
The corona on Aug. 12, 2026, may resemble the total solar eclipse on April 20, 2023. (Image credit: NASA/ESA (SOHO), P. Horálek/Institute of Physics in Opava; Josef Kujal (of the Astronomy Society of Hradec Kŕlové) and Milan Hlaváč.)
Why every corona looks different
The corona is not a fixed object. It is created by extremely hot plasma — highly energized, ionized gas — that's trapped and sculpted by the sun's magnetic field. Since the sun's magnetic field is constantly changing, the corona changes with it.
"The sun follows a natural 11-year cycle of increasing and decreasing activity," Ryan French, solar physicist, author and science communicator at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) in Boulder, Colorado, and author of Little Book of Eclipses: An Essential Companion to Solar and Lunar Events told Space.com in an email. "At the peak of this cycle, called solar maximum, there are loads of sunspots on the sun, which are giant magnets nestled in the base of the sun's atmosphere. These sunspots produce a lot of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which are kind of bursts and eruptions of energy from the sun's atmosphere, and at solar minimum, the sun has none of these things."
That magnetic activity determines the overall shape of the corona. During solar minimum, when the sun has few or no sunspots, the corona tends to look more uniform and more symmetrical. Long streamers often stretch from either side of the sun, giving the corona a wing-like appearance. During solar maximum, it can look much more complex. Sunspot regions act like magnetic anchors, creating structures that can appear as spikes or streamers extending in different directions.
"If you were to see a total eclipse during solar maximum, the solar corona looks almost like a five-pointed cartoon star," said French. "That's because every one of these sunspot regions creates a spire or spike that you can see with the eye."
Not solar maximum — but not quiet
The 2026 eclipse will not occur at solar maximum. Solar Cycle 25 peaked in October 2024, according to NASA and NOAA, with the Aug. 12, 2026 eclipse occurring almost two years later, during the cycle's declining phase. However, solar activity does not collapse immediately after solar maximum. It declines gradually, and the sun is expected to remain more active than it was in the lead-up to solar maximum.
"We're no longer in solar maximum — we're a third of the way past the peak in terms of amplitude and years passed," said French. "The corona will still be far more active than during the 2017, 2019 and 2020 total solar eclipses, but much less so than 2024's."
That makes the 2026 eclipse especially interesting. It likely won't show the full, highly structured corona seen close to the peak of activity in 2024, when the April 8 total solar eclipse occurred with a monthly sunspot number of about 144. Current predictions for August 2026 are closer to 102; far fewer, but still considered active by recent-cycle standards.
That means eclipse-watchers should expect something between extremes: not the clean, flattened corona of solar minimum, but not quite the wildest solar-maximum display either.
The sun's corona is only visible during the totality phase of a total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Getty Images)
A comparison with past eclipses
A useful comparison may be the total solar eclipses near the previous solar maximum. Solar Cycle 24, which peaked in April 2014, was relatively weak. The closest total solar eclipses to that peak were the rare hybrid eclipse of Nov. 3, 2013, when the monthly sunspot number was around 113. By contrast, Solar Cycle 23, which had a double peak — in March 2000 and November 2001 — was relatively strong. The closest total solar eclipse occurred on June 21, 2001, with a monthly sunspot number of around 203. Its corona was likely more complex than expected in 2026.
The 2026 eclipse therefore sits in a middle category. It's not a repeat of 2024, but it's not a quiet-sun eclipse either. An active declining-phase corona, it will likely feature strong streamers extending far into space, but with greater asymmetry, with one side of the corona more active. "It's sunspots specifically near the edge of the sun that dictate what the corona will look like," said French. The sun rotates every 27 days, so any large active region of sunspots rotating onto the sun's edge shortly before Aug. 12 could alter the corona's appearance dramatically. It's why any forecasts of what the corona looks like — which often come from Predictive Science a week before the eclipse — are generally refined on the day of the eclipse.
Red prominences may steal the show
One of the most memorable sights during totality is the appearance of vivid pink or crimson features around the moon's edge. These are usually prominences — immense structures of hydrogen plasma suspended above the sun's surface by magnetic fields. They're often mistaken for solar flares by beginners, such as after the 2024 total solar eclipse.
"Prominences are large magnetic structures that suspend plasma in the atmosphere of the sun, and they glow very bright in a very specific wavelength of light called hydrogen alpha," said French. Prominences are more likely when the sun is active, and because they can last for days or weeks, they are easier to anticipate than a flare. In hydrogen-alpha images taken before eclipse day, observers may be able to see which prominences are present around the solar edge.
The 2026 eclipse may have favorable geometry for sighting prominences. Because the moon will appear only slightly larger than the sun — which contributed to the relatively short duration of totality, at a maximum of just 2 minutes 18 seconds — smaller prominences on different sides of the sun could be visible at the same time. That is different from longer eclipses, where the larger apparent moon can cover prominences on one side before revealing others on the opposite side.
Could a CME be visible?
A coronal mass ejection (CME) is an eruption of plasma and magnetic field from the sun's atmosphere. Seeing one during totality is possible — it happened during the total solar eclipse on Dec. 14, 2020 — but requires luck. "CMEs travel very slowly, so they take several hours to traverse and escape from the sun's atmosphere, so you wouldn't see any motion during an eclipse," said French. "But what you could see, if you're lucky, is a snapshot of an eruption — though maybe a long exposure camera will be more likely to see this than your eye would." Such a view would be rare, but the chances are higher in an active solar environment than near solar minimum.
The 2019 total solar eclipse on July 2, 2019, just before the last solar minimum in December 2019. (Image credit: ESA/CESAR/Observatorio Astrofisico di Torino)
Predicting the corona yourself
There will be a forecast from Predictive Science, which can be so accurate that some eclipse chasers avoid it, so as not to ruin the surprise of totality. One way to get a general idea is to look at real-time images from telescopes that use coronagraphs to block the sun, such as the COSMO K-Coronagraph, NASA SOHO's LASCO C3 and the GOES CCOR-1. For sunspots, check the latest H-Alpha image from the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG).
No scientist can say exactly what the corona will look like on Aug. 12, 2026. That will depend on the sun's magnetic activity in the days immediately before totality, the location of sunspot groups, the presence of prominences and the possibility of eruptions. "What exactly we see during the August eclipse will depend on what the activity is that week," said French. "And even if you saw an eclipse a month before or a month after, it could be very different." For a few fleeting minutes over Greenland, Iceland, Spain and the Balearic Islands, the sun's hidden atmosphere will become momentarily visible before vanishing back into the glare, never being seen again in quite the same way.
We're just a few short days away from the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse, when millions will watch as the moon glides across the face of the sun, hiding its light in a wondrous display of orbital mechanics.
The eclipse will unfold during August's new moon phase, as the lunar disk slips silently between the sun and Earth in the daytime sky. Ordinarily, the subtle tilt in the moon's orbit causes its shadow to pass just below, or above our planet, missing it entirely.
However, on Aug. 12, the moon's orbit will carry it into a near-perfect alignment with the sun and Earth, casting its colossal shadow across a 182-mile-wide corridor known as the path of totality, where viewers will get to see the lunar disk fully hide the sun's disk.
The path of totality for the Aug. 12 eclipse cuts through Spain, Iceland and Greenland. Hundreds of millions more watching from outside of this narrow corridor will also bear witness to a spectacular partial solar eclipse, as the moon passes in front of our parent star, without fully obscuring its surface. Those unable to watch the eclipse in person by dint of geography can also follow along online, with details of the livestream to be released closer to the event.
Read on to discover what will happen during each stage of the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse.
Stage 1: The partial eclipse begins
The partial phase of the eclipse officially begins at the moment of "first contact", when the lunar disk takes its first nibble out of the sun — a subtle transformation that will first become visible in the skies over the U.S. state of Alaska at 11:34 a.m. EDT (1534 GMT) on Aug. 12.
The moon takes its first "bite" out of the sun during the partial phase of a solar eclipse. (Image credit: Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)
You can check out exactly when the partial eclipse will begin from your location and find out exactly how much of the sun will be hidden by the moon using Time and Date's interactive eclipse tracker.
The hour and a half following first contact will see the moon sink ever farther into the sun's disk for those in the path of totality, transforming it from a burning orb into a magnificent shining crescent.
The and moon meet in the skies over Mexico during the 2024 total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Photo by: Edwin Remsberg/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
You may notice the temperature drop noticeably, accompanied by a subtle darkening of the sky in the half hour preceding the climactic phase of totality, as the moon reduces the sun to a thin sickle in the evening sky. Pinpricks of light — such as those that shine through a colander, or the gaps in a leaf — will also appear to mirror the scene above, creating a kaleidoscope of tiny bright crescents.
Pinpricks of light create tiny crescents during a solar eclipse. (Image credit: Photo by: Edwin Remsberg/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Some of the most spectacular moments of an eclipse occur just before and after totality. First, look out for the "diamond ring" effect, as the last sliver of the sun peeks out from behind the lunar disk to appear as a gorgeous celestial jewel, while the outermost layer of our star's atmosphere, the corona, creates a glowing halo around the moon.
The diamond ring effect shines from behind (Image credit: Photo by Chris McKay/WireImage)
Tear your eyes away from the sun for just a second and you may just catch sight of the moon's shadow advancing on you from the west, before it engulfs your surroundings in a false night.
Baily's beads appear in the moments before totality. (Image credit: STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images)
The final seconds before totality will see bright "Baily's Beads" form dazzling points of light on the moon's edge, where the last shreds of the sun's disk shine through the ravines and valleys that scar the ancient lunar surface.
Stage 3: Totality & maximum eclipse
As the last of the sun's surface slips behind the moon, totality begins. This is the climactic phase of the eclipse, when the moon acts like a natural coronagraph to block the brilliance of the sun's disk, ushering in a false night in which our star's outer atmosphere can be seen leaping out from the lunar silhouette.
Totality will last a maximum of 2 minutes, 18 seconds, during which time it's safe to remove your glasses and look at the sun. Just be sure to put them on again before its fiery disk reemerges from the other side of the lunar disk.
The sun's corona haloes the moon at the climax of a total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Photo by: Edwin Remsberg/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
That white halo surrounding Earth's natural satellite is the sun's corona — a jacket of superheated gas that surrounds our parent star. Look out for glowing solar prominences leaping outward through the sun's atmosphere, along with the red line of the chromosphere — the layer of the sun's atmosphere beneath the corona — which appears fleetingly at the beginning and end of totality, according to NASA.
The point of maximum eclipse occurs roughly halfway through totality, when the sun's disk is most hidden by the moon.
Eagle-eyed skywatchers may catch Jupiter and Mercury shining to the lower right of the eclipsed sun in the faux twilight experienced during totality, while Venus will appear as a bright star-like object to its upper left. If you're incredibly lucky, you could even spot one of the brightest shooting stars or fireballs of the Perseid meteor shower, which comes to a peak around the same time as the Aug. 12 total eclipse.
Stage 4:Totality ends
The fourth stage of the eclipse comes as the very edge of the sun's disk emerges from behind the moon, marking the end of totality as Bail's Beads and the diamond ring effect play out in reverse, before giving way to an ever-thickening solar crescent.
Stage 5: The partial eclipse ends.
The waning partial eclipse will come to a global end at 3:57 p.m. EDT (1957 GMT), as the moon's silhouette exits the sun's disk in the skies off the west coast of Africa — a moment known to astronomers as fourth contact.
The moon exits the solar disk at the end of a total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Getty Images)
Space.com is on hand to provide expert coverage and on the ground reporting as the eclipse unfolds. Skywatching Editor Daisy Dobrijevic is undertaking an expedition with HX to observe the total solar eclipse from the waters around Greenland, while Skywatching Writer Anthony Wood heads to Spain in a cowboy hat, to catch the orbital showdown with citizen scientists from NASA's Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative.
Be sure to check out our total eclipse live blog to stay up to date with all the latest news, along with our handy explainer article detailing everything you need to know about the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse.
Editor's Note: If you capture footage of the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
It's hardly a "Great American Eclipse," but on Aug. 12, 2026, some parts of the North American continent will see a partial solar eclipse.
Will it be as impressive as on April 8, 2024, when totality visited Mexico, 15 U.S. states and six provinces in Canada? No, yet in some parts of the U.S. and Canada, astronomers will be out in force to capture a significant chunk of the sun as it is obscured by the new moon.
The spotlight may be on the total solar eclipse in Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, but millions across North America can still see the moon take a bite out of the sun on Aug. 12. The farther northeast you are, the deeper the eclipse. Here's everything you need to know about the partial solar eclipse in North America.
Where to see the partial solar eclipse in the U.S.
Between 7:34 a.m. AKDT and 2:52 p.m. EDT, 20 U.S. states will see something of the partial solar eclipse, though only northeastern states will get a good view. Here's a sample of locations and the time of maximum eclipse. Note that the partial eclipse begins (first contact) and ends (last contact) around 55 minutes before and after the time of maximum eclipse given here.
Location
Maximum eclipse
Time (local)
Fairbanks, Alaska
37%
8:27 a.m. AKDT
Presque Isle, Maine
28%
1:50 p.m. EDT
Bangor, Maine
23%
1:53 p.m. EDT
Portland, Maine
19%
1:53 p.m. EDT
Montpelier, Vermont
17%
1:49 p.m. EDT
Manchester, New Hampshire
16%
1:53 p.m. EDT
Boston, Massachusetts
16%
1:55 p.m. EDT
Providence, Rhode Island
15%
1:55 p.m. EDT
Springfield, Massachusetts
14%
1:53 p.m. EDT
New Haven, Connecticut
12%
1:54 p.m. EDT
Bridgeport, Connecticut
11%
1:54 p.m. EDT
New York City, New York
10%
1:54 p.m. EDT
Newark, New Jersey
9%
1:53 p.m. EDT
Rochester, New York
9%
1:43 p.m. EDT
Allentown, Pennsylvania
8%
1:52 p.m. EDT
Buffalo, New York
7%
1:42 p.m. EDT
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7%
1:53 p.m. EDT
From most of the northeast U.S., only a small eclipse will be visible on Aug. 12, 2026. (Image credit: imageBROKER/Lucas Seebacher via Getty Images)
Where to see the partial solar eclipse in Canada
Between 8:38 a.m. MST and 4:38 p.m. NDT on Aug. 12, every province in Canada will be able to see some kind of partial solar eclipse, but those in the east of the country will see something much more significant. Here's a sample of locations and the time of maximum eclipse. Note that the partial eclipse begins (first contact) and ends (last contact) around 55 minutes before and after the time of maximum eclipse given here.
Location
Maximum eclipse
Time (local)
Iqaluit, Nunavut
61%
1:24 p.m. EDT
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
53%
3:34 p.m. NDT
Moncton, New Brunswick
32%
2:55 p.m. ADT
Halifax, Nova Scotia
31%
3:00 p.m. ADT
Churchill, Manitoba
27%
12:02 p.m. CDT
Quebec City, Quebec
24%
1:46 p.m. EDT
Whitehorse, Yukon
23%
9:26 a.m. MST
Trois-Rivières, Quebec
21%
1:45 p.m. EDT
Sherbrooke, Quebec
20%
1:48 p.m. EDT
Montreal, Quebec
18%
1:45 p.m. EDT
Ottawa, Ontario
15%
1:42 p.m. EDT
Kingston, Ontario
12%
1:43 p.m. EDT
Toronto, Ontario
8%
1:40 p.m. EDT
St. Catharines—Niagara, Ontario
8%
1:41 p.m. EDT
Kitchener, Ontario
7%
1:38 p.m. EDT
Hamilton, Ontario
7%
1:40 p.m. EDT
London, Ontario
5%
1:38 p.m. EDT
Windsor, Ontario
3%
1:36 p.m. EDT
What to expect
This is a small partial solar eclipse in North America, which occurs at lunchtime. In the east of the continent, it will occur high in the sky — about two-thirds of the way between the horizon and the zenith — in the south-southwest. At maximum eclipse, the partially eclipsed sun with resemble a thick crescent or a smile. It won't get dark — that only happens within the path of totality — nor will daylight be affected.
Those using a telescope to observe or image the partial eclipse (using a solar filter) should also consider that Venus — which will be visible just after sunset — reaches dichotomy on Aug. 12. This is the point in its current apparition as the "Evening Star" that it starts becoming interesting in a telescope. Dichotomy sees it reduce to 50%-lit and gradually become an ever-shrinking crescent.
Perhaps more importantly, the early hours of Aug. 13 see the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower.
When is the next solar eclipse visible from the US after August 2026?
The next solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027, will be seen in Newfoundland, Canada, where a 23% partial eclipse will occur at the province's southwestern tip.
On Jan. 26, 2028, during an annular solar eclipse across northern South America, eastern U.S. states and eastern Canada will see a very small partial solar eclipse shortly after sunrise. Florida will have the best view, with around 15% of the sun blocked.
On Jan. 14, 2029, a large partial solar eclipse will be seen in the morning sky across all of North America — up to 81% in northern Canada and 74% in northwestern U.S. states. On June 12, 2029, a smaller partial solar eclipse will peak at 34% just after sunrise from Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the northern tips of Alberta and British Columbia.
