MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse crossed the Russian Arctic. It then swept into the North Atlantic and continued toward Europe. State Space Corporation Roscosmos said the eclipse began over Russia’s remote northern regions at about 17:00 GMT. The Moon’s shadow moved across Greenland and Iceland before reaching Spain and northeastern Portugal near sunset. Totality appeared only inside a narrow corridor. Surrounding regions across Europe, North America and Africa experienced a partial solar eclipse.
August 2026 total solar eclipse crossed the Arctic, North Atlantic and Europe. (AI-generated image)
NASA calculations placed greatest eclipse at 17:45:53.8 UTC over the North Atlantic. Totality there lasted about two minutes and 18 seconds. At greatest eclipse, the path of totality measured about 294 kilometers wide. During totality, the Moon completely covered the Sun’s bright disk and revealed the solar corona. The corona forms the Sun’s outer atmosphere and becomes visible when the Moon blocks the photosphere. Outside the umbra, viewers saw only part of the Sun covered.
Northern Russia experienced totality first as the lunar shadow entered the Arctic region. It then crossed the Arctic Ocean and eastern Greenland before reaching western Iceland. The path included Reykjavík and continued south across the North Atlantic toward the Iberian Peninsula. Northern Spain received totality late in the day. A small area of northeastern Portugal also entered the totality corridor. Much of the rest of Europe saw a partial eclipse, along with northwestern Africa and parts of North America.
Moon’s shadow crosses Arctic and Atlantic
The eclipse crossed a broad section of northern Spain during the final land phase of totality. Crowds gathered in cities, towns and rural viewing areas across northern and central parts of the country. The event marked Spain’s first total solar eclipse in more than a century. In many locations, the Moon fully covered the Sun shortly before sunset. The low solar angle placed the darkened Sun close to the western horizon. That timing gave Spain one of the eclipse path’s final major viewing areas.
Viewing conditions varied sharply along the route. Cloud covered much of Reykjavík during totality and limited direct views from the Icelandic capital. Parts of western Iceland had clearer conditions. Many locations in Spain also had clearer skies as the eclipse approached sunset. Observers there watched the Moon completely cover the solar disk during the brief central phase. Partial phases lasted longer because the Moon covered only part of the Sun before and after totality. Wider surrounding regions remained outside the totality corridor.
Spain sees total eclipse near sunset
Across the partial eclipse zone, the Moon obscured different shares of the Sun depending on location. Most of Canada and much of Europe experienced a partial solar eclipse. Parts of the northern United States also fell inside the wider visibility area. Northwestern Africa received a partial view as well. Observers outside totality needed certified solar filters for direct viewing during all partial phases. Viewers could remove eye protection only during complete totality. They needed protection again as soon as direct sunlight returned.
The European land phase concluded as the Moon’s shadow crossed the Iberian Peninsula near sunset. The eclipse linked remote Arctic territory with Greenland, Iceland and southwestern Europe in one continuous path. Northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a small part of Portugal all lay inside the totality corridor. Wider regions across three continents saw the partial phase. The August 12 event followed the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse across North America. The 2026 path centered largely on the Arctic and North Atlantic.