MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – The State Space Corporation Roscosmos reported that on August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse moved across the Russian Arctic, then advanced over the North Atlantic before reaching parts of Europe. According to their statement, the eclipse started over Russia’s remote northern regions at approximately 17:00 GMT. The Moon’s shadow then crossed Greenland and Iceland prior to reaching Spain and northeastern Portugal near sunset. The zone of totality was confined to a narrow corridor, while surrounding areas across Europe, North America, and Africa experienced a partial eclipse.
NASA estimates placed the maximum eclipse at 17:45:53.8 UTC over the North Atlantic. The period of totality there lasted roughly two minutes and 18 seconds. At the point of greatest eclipse, the totality path stretched approximately 294 kilometers across. During the peak, the Moon completely obscured the Sun’s bright disk, revealing the solar corona—the Sun’s outer atmosphere that becomes visible when the Moon blocks the photosphere. Outside the umbra, observers only saw a partial coverage of the Sun.
Totality was first experienced in northern Russia as the lunar shadow entered the Arctic zone. The shadow then traversed the Arctic Ocean and eastern Greenland before reaching western Iceland. The path included Reykjavík and continued southward across the North Atlantic toward the Iberian Peninsula. Late in the day, northern Spain experienced totality, and a small section of northeastern Portugal also fell within the totality corridor. Most of the rest of Europe, along with parts of northwestern Africa and North America, observed a partial eclipse.
Moon’s shadow crosses Arctic and Atlantic
During the final land phase of totality, the eclipse’s path crossed a broad segment of northern Spain. Crowds gathered in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the north and center 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 shortly before sunset, with the Sun near the western horizon due to the low solar angle. This timing made Spain one of the last major viewing areas along the eclipse’s path.
Viewing conditions varied sharply along the route. Cloud cover obscured much of Reykjavík during totality, limiting direct views from the Icelandic capital. Some parts of western Iceland had clearer skies. Likewise, many locations in Spain experienced clearer conditions as the eclipse neared sunset. Observers there witnessed the Moon entirely cover the solar disk during the brief central phase. Partial phases lasted longer, as the Moon only partially covered the Sun before and after totality. Larger surrounding regions outside the totality corridor saw only partial views.
Spain witnesses total eclipse near sunset
In areas experiencing partial eclipse, the extent of solar coverage depended on location. Most of Canada and much of Europe saw a partial eclipse. Some parts of the northern United States also fell within the wider visibility zone. Northwestern Africa experienced partial views as well. For safe observation during all partial phases, viewers outside the totality zone needed certified solar filters. Eye protection was only to be removed during the brief totality period, after which it had to be promptly re-worn as the Sun reappeared.
The land phase over Europe concluded as the Moon’s shadow crossed the Iberian Peninsula near sunset. The eclipse connected remote Arctic regions with Greenland, Iceland, and southwestern Europe through a continuous path. Northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small part of Portugal all lay within the totality corridor. Larger regions across three continents observed only the partial phases. This event on August 12 followed the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse across North America, with the 2026 eclipse’s track mainly centered over the Arctic and North Atlantic.