Stellarhound

Solar eclipse · 12 August 2026

The 2026 total solar eclipse over Iceland and Spain

On the afternoon of 12 August 2026, the Moon's shadow sweeps across the North Atlantic and clips western Iceland before crossing northern Spain at sunset. It's the first total solar eclipse to touch mainland Europe since 1999 — and, by a quirk of the calendar, it happens on the same date the Perseids peak under a New Moon.

Are you in the path?

Only a narrow band sees the Sun go completely dark. Everyone else in the region sees a partial eclipse — impressive, but not the same event.

  • Totality

    Western Iceland and a diagonal band across northern Spain (roughly from the northwest toward the Balearic Sea). In Spain the Sun is very low — totality happens close to sunset, so a clear, flat western horizon is essential.

  • Deep partial

    Portugal, most of Spain, France, the British Isles, Greenland and much of western Europe see a large partial eclipse. The closer to the central band, the more of the Sun is covered.

For the exact local circumstances at a specific town — whether it's inside the path, and the precise contact and totality times — use NASA's authoritative eclipse resources: NASA — future eclipses. We link the primary source rather than reproduce shadow-path geometry we can't verify ourselves.

The honest clear-sky reality

The whole trip hinges on one thing: is the sky clear at your spot for those few minutes? This is where the two ends of the path differ sharply. Coastal Iceland in August is frequently cloudy and changeable — a genuine gamble, with maritime cloud that can roll in fast. Interior and southern Spain in mid-August is typically much drier and clearer, which is why many eclipse chasers favour the Spanish segment despite the low Sun.

We won't quote a single clear-sky percentage for your town — long-range climatology and the actual forecast on the day are different things, and a made-up number helps no one. As 12 August comes within the forecast horizon, run your exact location through the main forecast tool to see the real cloud outlook, and cross-check a dedicated eclipse-weather resource close to the date.

Watch it safely — this is not optional

During the partial phases — which is the entire event outside the few minutes of totality — you must use certified ISO 12312-2 solar-eclipse glasses or a proper solar filter. Ordinary sunglasses do nothing. After the 2024 North American eclipse, searches for "my eyes hurt" spiked in the minutes after the event; permanent retinal damage from looking at even a sliver of uncovered Sun is real and painless as it happens.

Only during total phase — when the Sun's disc is 100% covered, and only if you are inside the path of totality — is it safe to look with the naked eye. The instant the bright disc returns, the glasses go back on.

The bonus: a moonless meteor night

Because the eclipse falls on a New Moon, the same night is the darkest Perseid peak in over a decade. If you've travelled for the eclipse, stay out after dark — you're already under a black sky at exactly the right time.

Source for eclipse path and circumstances: NASA — future eclipses. Weather is uncertain by nature; we never fabricate clear-sky odds or contact times.