MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse made its way across the Russian Arctic, then proceeded into the North Atlantic before continuing its journey toward Europe. According to State Space Corporation Roscosmos, the eclipse commenced over Russia’s isolated northern regions around 17:00 GMT. The Moon’s shadow traveled over Greenland and Iceland prior to reaching Spain and northeastern Portugal near sunset, with totality confined to a narrow corridor. Regions surrounding this path across Europe, North America, and Africa experienced only a partial solar eclipse.
NASA calculations indicated the peak of the eclipse occurred at 17:45:53.8 UTC over the North Atlantic. The duration of totality in that area was approximately two minutes and 18 seconds. At the point of greatest eclipse, the totality path spanned roughly 294 kilometers in width. During this phase, the Moon completely obscured the Sun’s luminous disk, unveiling the solar corona, which is the Sun’s outer atmosphere visible when the photosphere is blocked. Outside the umbra, observers saw only a portion of the Sun covered.
Initially, the totality was experienced first in northern Russia as 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 was observed in southern Spain late in the day, and a small region of northeastern Portugal also entered the totality corridor. The majority of Europe, along with parts of northwestern Africa and North America, observed only partial phases of the eclipse.
Moon’s shadow crosses Arctic and Atlantic
During the final land phase of the total eclipse, the lunar shadow traversed a wide section of northern Spain, prompting crowds to gather in cities, towns, and rural areas across the northern and central parts of the country. This event marked Spain’s first total solar eclipse in over a century. In many locations, the Moon completely covered the Sun just prior to sunset, with the low solar angle positioning the darkened Sun near the western horizon. Such timing made Spain one of the last major viewing regions along the eclipse path.
Conditions for viewing varied considerably along the route. Cloud cover obscured much of Reykjavík during totality, limiting direct observation from the Icelandic capital, though parts of western Iceland experienced clearer skies. Numerous sites in Spain also enjoyed clearer conditions as sunset approached. Observers there watched the Moon fully cover the solar disk during the short central phase, while the partial phases lasted longer because the Moon only obscured part of the Sun before and after totality. Broader surrounding areas remained outside the totality corridor.
Spain witnesses total eclipse near sunset
Within the partial eclipse zone, the degree of the Sun obscuration varied based on location. Most of Canada and a significant portion of Europe experienced partial phases of the eclipse. Some northern U.S. regions also fell within the broader visibility area, along with parts of northwestern Africa. Observers outside the totality zone were advised to use certified solar filters for direct viewing during all partial phases, removing eye protection only during the brief period of totality and reapplying it immediately afterward once direct sunlight resumed.
The land-based eclipse phase over Europe concluded as the Moon’s shadow crossed the Iberian Peninsula near sunset, linking remote Arctic territories with Greenland, Iceland, and southwestern Europe along a continuous path. Inside the totality corridor, northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small part of Portugal all experienced the total eclipse, while larger regions across three continents observed only partial phases. The August 12 event 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.