Are you ready for the next total solar eclipse? As the April 2024 eclipse in North America wraps up, eclipse chasers are turning their attention to planning The next one will be on August 12, 2026.
The first total will be Solar Eclipse It is the first eclipse visible from Europe since 2015 and the first to be seen in mainland Europe since 1999. However, only five countries will experience the eclipse on August 12, 2026, when the Moon’s shadow completely blocks the Sun’s face. On that day, the Sun will rise completely eclipsed from a remote spot in Siberia, Russia, before the Moon’s shadow sweeps across eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, cutting through a small part of northeastern Portugal.
Relating to: 16 best places to see the total solar eclipse of 2026
Weather in the path of the total eclipse will be affected by the time of year, as August is the best month for clear skies across the region, but it will still be difficult to find clear skies. However, perhaps the most confusing aspect of this eclipse, at least for observers in Spain, will be its height. You will need to calculate lines of sight in advance, which is not necessary for the total solar eclipse in North America.
But the reward is the same: a completely overshadowed sunno more than 2 minutes and 18 seconds. Here are 10 essential tips for planning your 2026 total solar eclipse experience.
1. Forget about time
Never judge a total solar eclipse by its maximum duration of totality. Although April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse While it may have lasted more than four minutes for some viewers, most total solar eclipses last two minutes or less. What’s more, the duration of a total eclipse is irrelevant. What’s amazing is that it happens at all — and how dramatic it is. Instead, think about where you’ll be watching from along the path of the total eclipse, because location makes a difference.
2. Focus on the sky position.
At no point on Earth will the eclipsed sun during the August 2026 eclipse appear higher than 26 degrees above the horizon. That won’t be much of a problem in Greenland and Iceland, but in Spain the sun will be eclipsed for just 70 minutes before sunset on the Galician coast of Spain, and the sun will be just 11 degrees above the northwestern horizon.
As the path of the total eclipse shifts eastward, it will be visible lower in the sky and closer to sunset. The eclipsed sun will be just 3 degrees above the northwestern horizon off the west coast of the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Minorca, and Ibiza). This could cause the sun to disappear into the haze and clouds of the horizon. Or it could produce a rare, dramatic “golden corona.” As with all eclipses, you must weigh the risk against the reward.
3. Pay attention to sightlines on the Spanish coast
The sun will be eclipsed just 4 degrees above the northwestern horizon off the east coast of Spain. It’s possible to find coastal locations where you’ll have a clear view of the eclipse, but don’t take anything for granted. In many coastal areas, the trick will be to head inland and onto higher ground. Either way, triple-check lines of sight from all locations.
4. Consider landscape photography.
The 2026 eclipse will offer a brief window to view the eclipsed sun, providing the opportunity to see and capture the sun’s corona low over landmarks, mountains, and buildings. Expect images of an eclipsed sun above icebergs in Greenland, above the Sun Explorer statue in Reykjavik, Iceland, and between the arches of the Roman aqueduct bridge in Segovia, Spain. Many photography studios will travel to Spain to capture the eclipsed sun close to the horizon. You can also check out our guides at: How to photograph a solar eclipse And How to photograph a total solar eclipse with a smartphone.
5. Consider cloud cover
As solar eclipse meteorologist Jay Anderson notes on his website Eclipsophile.comValladolid and Zaragoza, Spain, and the Mediterranean coast have the best chance of clear skies. However, there is also good reason to be optimistic about clear skies in Iceland and Greenland, with the latter’s Scoresby Sun frequently experiencing sunny weather in August. If the 2024 total solar eclipse has taught eclipse chasers anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.
6. Stay mobile
Trying to find accommodation in advance in rural Spain can be difficult. Also, you don’t need to wake up in time for this total eclipse as it will occur just before sunset. You will have all day to travel to a location expected to have clear skies.
7. Don’t get stuck on the centerline
You don’t need to aim for the centerline for this eclipse. Yes, it will maximize the duration of the total. However, not only is the maximum duration reasonably short, but there are diminishing returns as you get closer to the centerline. This is because moonThe shadow of is oval-shaped, so its total duration gradually decreases on either side of the centerline. For example, Burgos, which is close to the centerline, will take 1 minute and 44 seconds, while Valladolid, which is halfway between the centerline and the southern border, will take 1 minute and 29 seconds.
8. Get ready for the “Pac-Man” sunset.
The E80 motorway connecting Valladolid to Burgos occupies the centerline of the entire path of the totality in the most likely place for clear skies. It also represents the dividing line for a partially eclipsed sunset. From here, from all locations to the west, the sun is no longer eclipsed at sunset. In the east, it sinks below the horizon while still partially eclipsed. Locations further east—such as Calamocha, Teruel, and Zaragoza—would be good locations to watch an eclipsed sunset.
9. Plan for “shooting stars” and the Milky Way.
It is a coincidence that August 12th is also the summit. Perseid meteor shower In 2026. So, in theory, traveling to Spain could give you a night sky full of “shooting stars” in a completely moonless sky, followed by a total solar eclipse (because a solar eclipse is, by definition, a new monthIt is also the time when the scenery is at its most beautiful. Milky Way It streaks down across the southern sky. The Perseid peak will also occur in Greenland and Iceland, but there will be no darkness there. In Reykjavik, Iceland, the sun sets around 9:50 p.m. on August 12 and rises around 5 a.m., but it never gets completely dark.
10. Head north for possible auroras
There is a lot of talk about whether it is possible to see the aurora borealis. northern Lights — During the eclipse, as seen from Iceland and Greenland. However, it is very unlikely — the aurora is transient and unpredictable in timing and intensity, and the sky in total will not be darker than bright twilight. There will be a chance on the nights surrounding the eclipse, but true darkness never comes in August; from midnight onwards there are about three hours of nautical twilight, sometimes dark enough to see the auroras.