MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – A total solar eclipse unfolded across the Russian Arctic and continued over parts of Europe on August 12, 2026. The event started over Russia’s distant northern regions at approximately 17:00 GMT, according to State Space Corporation Roscosmos. The Moon’s shadow then advanced across Greenland and Iceland, reaching Spain and northeastern Portugal near sunset. The total phase of the eclipse was confined to a narrow corridor, while surrounding areas across Europe, North America, and Africa experienced only partial coverage.
NASA estimates placed the peak eclipse at 17:45:53.8 UTC over the North Atlantic, where totality lasted about two minutes and 18 seconds. At the moment of greatest eclipse, the totality pathway spanned roughly 294 kilometers in width. During this period, the Moon completely covered the Sun’s bright disk, revealing the solar corona—the Sun’s outer atmosphere visible only when the photosphere is obscured. Outside the umbra, observers saw only a partial blocking of the Sun.
The initial totality phase occurred in northern Russia as the lunar shadow entered the Arctic zone. It then traversed the Arctic Ocean and eastern Greenland before reaching western Iceland. The path extended through Reykjavík and continued southward across the North Atlantic toward the Iberian Peninsula. In Spain, totality was visible late in the day, while a small section of northeastern Portugal also entered the totality corridor. Most other parts of Europe, along with northwestern Africa and parts of North America, experienced only partial eclipse conditions.
Moon’s shadow sweeps across Arctic and Atlantic regions
During the final land-based phase of totality, the eclipse crossed a large portion of northern Spain. Crowds gathered in cities, towns, and rural vantage points across the northern and central regions of the country. This event marked Spain’s first total solar eclipse in over a century. In many locations, the Sun was completely covered shortly before sunset, with the low solar angle placing the darkened Sun near the western horizon. This timing made Spain one of the last major viewing spots within the eclipse path.
Viewing conditions varied significantly along the route. Much of Reykjavík was shrouded in clouds during totality, limiting direct views from the Icelandic capital. Some parts of western Iceland experienced clearer skies. Similarly, many Spanish locations enjoyed clearer weather as the eclipse neared sunset. Observers there saw the Moon fully cover the solar disk during the short central phase, though partial phases lasted longer because the Moon only partially covered the Sun before and after totality. The wider surrounding regions outside the totality corridor remained in partial shadow.
Spain witnesses total eclipse near sunset
Across the zones experiencing partial eclipse, the extent of the Sun covered by the Moon varied by location. Most of Canada and a significant part of Europe experienced partial obscuration. Northern areas of the United States also fell within the broader visibility zone. Northwestern Africa was partially affected as well. To safely observe the partial phases, viewers outside the totality corridor needed certified solar filters, which had to be removed only during the brief moments of totality, and reapplied immediately afterward to protect their eyes.
The land-based eclipse phase in Europe concluded as the Moon’s shadow crossed the Iberian Peninsula near sunset. The eclipse effectively linked the remote Arctic region with Greenland, Iceland, and southwestern Europe along a continuous path. The totality corridor included northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small part of Portugal. Meanwhile, wider regions across three continents experienced the partial eclipse. This event followed the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse across North America, with the 2026 path primarily centered over the Arctic and North Atlantic areas.
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