Solar eclipse of August 12, 2026
Map
Type of eclipse
NatureTotal
Gamma0.8977
Magnitude1.0386
Maximum eclipse
Duration138 sec (2 m 18 s)
Coordinates65°12′N 25°12′W / 65.2°N 25.2°W / 65.2; -25.2
Max. width of band294 km (183 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse17:47:06
References
Saros126 (48 of 72)
Catalog # (SE5000)9566

A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's descending node of the orbit on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 2 days past perigee (Perigee on Monday, August 10, 2026), in North America and Europe. The total eclipse will pass over the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Atlantic Ocean and northern Spain. The points of greatest duration and greatest eclipse will be just 45 km off the western coast of Iceland by 65°10.3' N and 25°12.3' W, where the totality will last 2m 18.21s. It will be the first total eclipse visible in Iceland since June 30, 1954, also Solar Saros series 126 (descending node), and the only one to occur in the 21st century as the next one will be in 2196.

Occurring only 2.3 days after perigee (Perigee on August 10, 2026), the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger. Lunar Perigee will occur on Monday, August 10, 2026, two days before the total solar eclipse.

The total eclipse will pass over northern Spain from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean coast as well as the Balearic Islands. The total eclipse will be visible from the cities of Valencia, Zaragoza, Palma and Bilbao but both Madrid and Barcelona will be just outside the path of totality.

The last total eclipse in continental Europe occurred on March 29, 2006 and in continental part of European Union it occurred on August 11, 1999. The last total solar eclipse happened in Spain on August 30, 1905 and followed a similar path across the country. The next total eclipse visible in Spain will happen less than a year later on 2 August 2027. A partial eclipse will cover more than 90% of the area of the sun in Ireland, Great Britain, Portugal, France, Italy, the Balkans and North Africa and to a lesser extent in most of Europe, North Africa and North America.

Circumstances

The eclipse path proceeds from North Siberia throughout the Arctic Region, Iceland, eastern Atlantic to Spain and Mediterranean.

Solar eclipse and the aurora borealis

In the North Russia area where totality will begin at sunrise, the aurora borealis could also be visible up to the beginning of the nautical twilight, depending on the intensity of the auroral activity at that date. If an extremely high intensity geomagnetic storm takes place simultaneously, there might be chances of seeing the aurora simultaneously with the eclipsed sun. In the east of Taymyr Peninsula the total phase will start at August 13 at 0:00 local time during midnight sun.[1]

Solar eclipse below the horizon

Due to the considerable eclipse magnitude (more than 0,8), observers where the totally eclipsed sun is just below the horizon will have the chance to observe the lunar shadow in the high atmosphere, as well as shortened civil twilight and extended nautical twilight. The darkening of the twilight sky could improve the chances of observing the inner Zodiacal light.[2]

Images


Animated path

Eclipses in 2026

Solar eclipses 2026–2029

This eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of solar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.[3]

Solar eclipse series sets from 2026–2029
Ascending node   Descending node
Saros Map Gamma Saros Map Gamma
121 2026 February 17

Annular
−0.97427 126 2026 August 12

Total
0.89774
131 2027 February 6

Annular
−0.29515 136 2027 August 2

Total
0.14209
141 2028 January 26

Annular
0.39014 146 2028 July 22

Total
−0.60557
151 2029 January 14

Partial
1.05532 156 2029 July 11

Partial
−1.41908

Partial solar eclipses on June 12, 2029, and December 5, 2029, occur in the next lunar year eclipse set.

Saros 126

It is a part of Saros cycle 126, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, containing 72 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on March 10, 1179. It contains annular eclipses from June 4, 1323 through April 4, 1810, hybrid eclipses from April 14, 1828 through May 6, 1864 and total eclipses from May 17, 1882 through August 23, 2044. The series ends at member 72 as a partial eclipse on May 3, 2459. The longest duration of central eclipse (annular or total) was 6 minutes, 30 seconds of annularity on June 26, 1359. The longest duration of totality was 2 minutes, 36 seconds on July 10, 1972. All eclipses in this series occurs at the Moon’s descending node.

Series members 42–52 occur between 1901 and 2100
42 43 44

June 8, 1918

June 19, 1936

June 30, 1954
45 46 47

July 10, 1972

July 22, 1990

August 1, 2008
48 49 50

August 12, 2026

August 23, 2044

September 3, 2062
51 52

September 13, 2080

September 25, 2098

Metonic series

The metonic series repeats eclipses every 19 years (6939.69 days), lasting about 5 cycles. Eclipses occur in nearly the same calendar date. In addition, the octon subseries repeats 1/5 of that or every 3.8 years (1387.94 days). All eclipses in this table occur at the Moon's descending node.

21 eclipse events between June 1, 2011 and June 1, 2087
May 31 – June 1 March 19–20 January 5–6 October 24–25 August 12–13
118 120 122 124 126

June 1, 2011

March 20, 2015

January 6, 2019

October 25, 2022

August 12, 2026
128 130 132 134 136

June 1, 2030

March 20, 2034

January 5, 2038

October 25, 2041

August 12, 2045
138 140 142 144 146

May 31, 2049

March 20, 2053

January 5, 2057

October 24, 2060

August 12, 2064
148 150 152 154 156

May 31, 2068

March 19, 2072

January 6, 2076

October 24, 2079

August 13, 2083
158 160 162 164 166

June 1, 2087

October 24, 2098

References

  1. 12–13 August, 2026. — Total Solar Eclipse — 75°41'N, 113°22'E. timeanddate.com
  2. Guliaev, R. A. (1992). "On a possible use of total solar eclipse below the horizon for observations of the inner zodiacal light (as applied to the eclipse of 30 June, 1992)". Solar Physics. 138 (1): 209–211. Bibcode:1992SoPh..138..209G. doi:10.1007/BF00146206. S2CID 122443822.
  3. van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
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