August 12 Solar Eclipse: Where the world will see totality and where only a partial eclipse will appear

August 12 Solar Eclipse: The August 12, 2026, solar eclipse is set to turn the sky into a global spectacle, but not everyone will see the same thing. According to Al Jazeera, the Moon’s shadow will begin its journey across the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and Spain from 15:34 GMT, with totality lasting as long as 2 minutes and 18 seconds in the best-positioned areas. Nearly one billion people could potentially see at least part of the Sun disappear, while roughly 15 million people are expected to be within the narrow path of totality. For most observers, however, the event will be a partial eclipse.

Where Will the August 12 Solar Eclipse Be Total?

The narrow path of totality will sweep across parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, with additional areas including parts of Russia and Portugal. This will be particularly significant for mainland Europe. The eclipse will mark the continent's first total solar eclipse visible from the mainland since 1999.


Spain will offer some of the strongest viewing opportunities. Cities including León, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Teruel and Valencia are inside the path of totality.

According to the eclipse information provided in the source material, totality begins at roughly 18:27 GMT in western Spain, or about 8:27 p.m. local time, and can last for up to 110 seconds depending on the exact location.

Madrid and Barcelona are just outside the path. Even so, observers there could see more than 99 percent of the Sun covered, making the event dramatic despite missing totality itself, as quoted in a report by Al Jazeera.

Which Countries Will See a Partial Solar Eclipse?

The partial eclipse will be far more widespread. Much of Europe, parts of northwestern Africa, Canada, the United States and other areas around the Atlantic region will see at least some portion of the Sun covered.

Space.com reports that the eclipse will produce a deep partial event across much of Europe. In some locations, the Sun will set while the eclipse is still underway.

The amount of coverage will vary considerably by location. Paris could see around 92 percent of the Sun covered, while London could reach approximately 91 percent and Berlin about 85 percent.

Further east in Europe, some locations will miss the maximum because sunset arrives before the eclipse reaches its deepest phase.

What Will North Africa See?

Parts of North Africa will also experience a substantial partial eclipse. Algiers could see approximately 98 percent of the Sun covered, while Casablanca could see about 87 percent.

However, observers in both cities face the same challenge as many European locations: sunset occurs before the eclipse completely runs its course. That means the maximum phase will not necessarily be visible from every location experiencing the event.

How Much of the Eclipse Will Canada See?

Canada will have a much broader view of the partial eclipse, although coverage will depend heavily on location. According to NBC News, every Canadian province will be able to see some form of partial eclipse on August 12.

The strongest coverage will occur farther east. St. John's could see about 53 percent of the Sun covered, while Montreal could see around 18 percent and Toronto approximately 8 percent.

The eclipse will be visible across Canada between roughly 8:38 a.m. MST and 4:38 p.m. NDT, with the exact timing varying by location.

What About the United States?

The United States will be much farther from the eclipse's main path. Parts of Alaska will experience the deepest coverage in the country, at around 37 percent. Elsewhere, the eclipse will be considerably less pronounced. Parts of northeastern Maine could see approximately 28 percent coverage, while New York could see around 10 percent. Much of the Midwest will see little or virtually none of the eclipse.

So while millions across North America will be able to witness some degree of the event, the experience will be dramatically different from what viewers inside the path of totality will see.

Why Does the Eclipse Look Different Around the World?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, temporarily blocking some or all of the Sun's light. As explained by NASA, solar eclipses can be partial, total, annular or hybrid.

A partial eclipse occurs when the Moon covers only part of the Sun.

A total eclipse happens when the Moon completely covers the Sun's visible disk for observers within the path of totality, briefly revealing the Sun's outer corona.

The reason total solar eclipses are possible at all comes down to an extraordinary coincidence. The Sun is roughly 400 times wider than the Moon, but it is also about 400 times farther from Earth. From our perspective, the two objects can therefore appear almost identical in size.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has also highlighted the scientific and observational importance of solar eclipses, which provide opportunities to study the Sun and its surrounding environment.

How Rare Are Total Solar Eclipses?

Solar eclipses are not exceptionally rare globally. NASA estimates that two to five solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth each year, counting partial, annular, total and hybrid eclipses. Total solar eclipses are much less common at any particular location because the path in which totality can be seen is extremely narrow. Globally, total solar eclipses occur on average around once every year and a half, although any individual location can wait much longer for one to pass directly overhead.

When Is the Next Total Solar Eclipse?

For eclipse watchers already planning ahead, the next total solar eclipse is scheduled for August 2, 2027. Its path will cross parts of southern Spain, North Africa and Yemen.

But before looking that far ahead, August 12 offers a spectacular reminder of how differently the same celestial event can appear depending on where you are standing.

For some, the afternoon or evening will briefly turn into darkness as the Moon completely covers the Sun. For millions more, the experience will be a dramatic partial eclipse, with the Sun appearing to have a significant bite taken out of it.



Either way, the August 12 eclipse will be a remarkably wide-reaching event, with observers across several continents looking up at the same Moon crossing the face of the Sun