MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse made its way across the Russian Arctic before advancing into the North Atlantic and continuing over parts of Europe. According to State Space Corporation Roscosmos, the eclipse commenced over Russia’s remote northern territories around 17:00 GMT. The Moon’s shadow then moved across Greenland and Iceland, heading toward Spain and northeastern Portugal near sunset. The narrow corridor of totality was the only region where the full eclipse was visible. Broader areas across Europe, North America, and Africa experienced a partial solar eclipse.
NASA estimates placed the peak of the eclipse at 17:45:53.8 UTC over the North Atlantic. In that region, totality lasted approximately two minutes and 18 seconds. At the moment of greatest eclipse, the path of totality spanned about 294 kilometers in width. During this phase, the Moon completely covered the Sun’s luminous disk, revealing the solar corona—a structure that forms the Sun’s outer atmosphere and becomes visible when the photosphere is blocked. Outside the umbra, observers only saw a partial coverage of the Sun.
The first regions to experience totality were in northern Russia, where the lunar shadow entered the Arctic zone. The shadow then crossed the Arctic Ocean and eastern Greenland before reaching western Iceland. The eclipse path included Reykjavík and continued southward across the North Atlantic toward the Iberian Peninsula. Totality reached late in the day over northern Spain, with a small section of northeastern Portugal also within the corridor. Much of the rest of Europe, along with northwestern Africa and parts of North America, observed only partial eclipse phases.
Moon’s shadow moves across Arctic and Atlantic regions
During the final land phase of the eclipse, a broad swath of northern Spain experienced totality. Crowds gathered in cities, towns, and rural viewing areas throughout northern and central Spain. This event marked Spain’s first total solar eclipse in over a century. In many locations, the Sun was fully covered by the Moon shortly before sunset, with the solar disk near the western horizon due to the low solar angle. This timing made Spain one of the last significant viewing spots along the eclipse path.
Viewing conditions varied considerably along the route. Clouds obscured much of Reykjavík during totality, limiting the view from the Icelandic capital, although parts of western Iceland had clearer conditions. Many locations in Spain also enjoyed clearer skies as the eclipse neared sunset, allowing observers to witness the Moon completely covering the solar disk during the central phase. Because the Moon only partially covered the Sun before and after totality, the partial phases lasted longer. Regions outside the totality corridor experienced only partial eclipse visibility.
Spain observes the eclipse near sunset
In the areas experiencing partial eclipse, the extent of the Sun obscured by the Moon varied by location. Most of Canada and large parts of Europe encountered partial solar eclipse conditions. Some northern U.S. regions also fell within the broader visibility zone, along with northwestern Africa. To view the eclipse directly during all partial phases, observers outside the totality zone required certified solar filters. Eyes could only be safely unprotected during the brief totality, returning to protective eyewear as soon as direct sunlight resumed.
The land phase in Europe concluded as the Moon’s shadow crossed the Iberian Peninsula near sunset. The eclipse created a continuous path linking remote Arctic regions with Greenland, Iceland, and southwestern Europe. Northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small part of Portugal all lay within the totality corridor, while broader areas across three continents experienced only partial phases. This event on August 12 followed the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse across North America, with the 2026 eclipse path primarily centered over the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.