On July 28, 1851, the first-ever photo of a total solar eclipse was recorded by a Prussian daguerreotypist named Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski.

Daguerreotypy is an old photographic process that uses silver-plated copper treated with chemical fumes that make it light-sensitive. Previous attempts to take photos of solar eclipses failed to show the contrast between the sun's corona and the dark disk of the moon.

Using a small, 6-centimeter telescope, Berkowski captured an 84-second exposure starting right after the moon moved completely in front of the sun.

• The Evolution of Solar Eclipse Photography in Photos

Why it mattered

Until Berkowski, total solar eclipses were something people saw once and never again. The ability to document a solar eclipse visually opened the door for scientists to study the solar event - and the sun - like never before. (Not to mention, make a rare astronomical phenomenon more accessible to people unable to see it.)

To be clear, many photographers did try to capture solar eclipses before Berkowski, but those attempts were often overexposed or underexposed. But Berkowski's daguerreotype was detailed enough that in 2005, 154 years, it was hailed as the first correctly exposed image of the sun's corona, the super-hot outer atmosphere of the sun that is visible around the moon during totality.

Today, more than 170 years later, the advent of digital cameras — and even smartphones — has put the ability to photograph a solar eclipse literally in the palm of our hands. Our Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik has seen two total solar eclipses (in 2017 and 2024), and managed to snap the 2024 eclipse with a smartphone with no training at all (and a bit of luck).

By the way, the next total solar eclipse is coming on Aug. 12 and will be visible across parts of Greenand, Iceland and Spain. To find out how you can capture a totality photo of your own during a total solar eclipse, check out our solar eclipse photography guide and gear up with our best solar eclipse photography equipmetnt for 2026.

And DON'T FORGET! If you're observing a solar eclipse on your own, you'll need eclipse glasses for safety.

Want more space history? Check out our full On This Day In Space video archive on YouTube.

On Aug. 12, I get to fulfil a lifelong ambition. I'll take a flight to Madrid and travel northwest to the city of Valladolid by rail, before striking out for Valoria la Buena — a charming town in central Spain with a population of less than 1,000.

There, I'll bear witness to one of the most spectacular naked eye shows that the solar system has to offer: a total solar eclipse. My first total solar eclipse.

Don't get me wrong. I've been obsessed with eclipses my entire life. I just haven't found myself in the right place at the right time to experience totality until now. 10-year-old me came pretty close during a deep partial eclipse in 1999, when I caught a fleeting glimpse of the moon's silhouette taking a bite out of the sun in the cloud-ridden skies over the United Kingdom.

Smash cut 20-something years later and I'm inexplicably the Skywatching Writer for Space.com, where one of the major perks of the job is being sent to report on eclipses. Things aligned quite nicely.

For the 2026 eclipse, I'll be joining a volunteer team from NASA's Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative led by citizen scientist Charles Greenwald.

The DEB is a network of enthusiastic solar observers led by professional astronomers who use standardized telescopes and software to share inspiring eclipse imagery to the public, while also capturing valuable scientific data on the sun's disk and golden atmosphere.

It was Greenwald who scouted Valoria la Buena as a prime location to observe the eclipse. He's since been hard at work liaising with DEB initiative leadership to test software updates and troubleshoot other issues, while also travelling to Mexico to help train student members of the team ahead of their expedition to Spain. Two more eclipse enthusiasts are due to join the group once it arrives in Madrid, making it a wonderfully international affair.

Less than a month out, things are pretty settled, and a kind of nervous anticipation has taken hold. Flights and trains are booked, and I have a pair of Celestron EclipSmart 10x42 binoculars and the EclipSmart 3-Piece Solar Eclipse Observing and Imaging Kit, courtesy of Celestron. Also hats and an ungodly amount of suntan lotion. I'm bald after all, so the sun is my greatest natural predator.

Of course, preparations can only get you so far. Once we get to Valoria la Buena on Aug. 10 there'll still be important work to do. The first order of business for Charles and his DEB team will be to stake out a location with a clear line of sight to the west for their equipment. Totality will occur with the sun less than 10 degrees above the horizon — roughly the width of your clenched fist held at arm's length — so line of sight will be everything.

We'll also be at the mercy of the weather. Clouds could easily arrive to hide the cosmic show from view — especially with the eclipse so low on the horizon. The DEB team also has to find a spot with good connectivity, which will allow them to broadcast near-live images of our parent star for the public to enjoy and scientists to pore over.

All being well, myself, the DEB team and over 15 million others in the path of totality will bear witness to a heartstopping display of orbital mechanics that crescendos with the fleeting artificial night of totality, as the moon blocks the last sliver of the sun from view. Space.com's Skywatching Editor Daisy Dobrijevic will also be on hand to report on the total solar eclipse as it unfolds in the skies over Greenland.

We can't wait to share our experiences with you. Be sure to stick with Space.com to discover everything there is to know about the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse, along with details on how to watch it online, which will be published closer to the event!

You should also read our guide to safely observing the sun, to ensure that you're ready to enjoy the eclipse, and our roundup of the best solar viewing equipment available in 2026 if you're looking for safe, quality gear.

Editor's Note: Want to share your eclipse photography with Space.com's readers? Then please send your photos and comments, along with your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

On Aug. 12, 2026, skywatchers across the U.K. will experience a rare astronomical double-header: a deep partial solar eclipse before sunset followed, hours later, by the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Although the path of totality will sweep from Greenland and Iceland to Spain, it will miss Britain entirely. However, the solar eclipse will still be dramatic, with up to 96% of the sun obscured for viewers in the far southwest.

This will be the U.K.'s deepest partial solar eclipse since 2015, and timing will be everything. The eclipse reaches its peak around 7:00-7:16 p.m. BST, with the sun hanging low above the west-northwest horizon as a narrowing crescent shortly before sunset. Because the sun will be relatively low, choosing the right location will matter far more than traveling huge distances. Coastal viewpoints, hilltops and open landscapes with unobstructed western horizons will offer guaranteed views — if the sky is clear.

The locations below prioritize another crucial factor: dark skies. While the eclipse will be visible almost everywhere in the U.K. and most will be happy to see it from close to where they live, the real reward comes after darkness falls, when the Perseids begin flashing across the sky. Find somewhere remote, stay overnight — ideally camp — and this could become one of the most memorable observing sessions of the year.

Eclipse timings and sightlines are from Xavier Jubier's Interactive Google Maps; cloud cover is from Time and Date, the figures reflect long-term climatological averages for mid-August, not weather forecasts. Bortle and sky quality meter (SQM) data come from the Light Pollution map.

During a partial solar eclipse, it is NEVER safe to look directly at the sun without solar eclipse glasses designed for solar viewing. Read our guide on how to observe the sun safely.

1. Hugh Town

The Isles of Scilly combine Britain's deepest partial eclipse with some of southern England's darkest skies. From Hugh Town and nearby west-facing beaches on St Mary's, the eclipsed sun will hang low above the Atlantic Ocean late in the day. Later that night, with minimal light pollution and broad sea horizons, the islands are an exceptional place to watch the Perseid meteor shower beneath pristine late-summer skies.

2. Land's End

Land's End is one of the best places on mainland Britain to watch the eclipse because of its vast Atlantic horizon and minimal obstruction toward the west-northwest. The sun will appear heavily eclipsed as it descends toward the ocean before sunset. After dark, the remote far-western location and low levels of artificial light make this region an outstanding destination for viewing the Perseid meteor shower.

3. Boscastle

Boscastle's narrow harbor and dramatic valley may create a natural frame for the eclipsed sun as it sinks toward the Atlantic. The village's northwest-facing coastline offers clear views toward the low evening eclipse, while the surrounding Cornish countryside remains relatively dark after sunset. Once twilight fades, the cliffs and headlands nearby become excellent places to watch for bright Perseid meteors.

4. Exmoor Dark Sky Reserve

Exmoor combines elevated moorland, dramatic coastline and protected dark skies, making it ideal for both the eclipse and the Perseids. Coastal viewpoints such as Valley of Rocks and Heddon's Mouth offer clear west-facing horizons for the low-eclipsed sun before sunset. Later that night, Exmoor's status as a Dark Sky Reserve makes it perfect for seeing bright Perseid meteors — and the Milky Way.

5. Rhossili Bay

Rhossili Bay's enormous west-facing beach and elevated clifftops make it ideal for watching a low eclipse unfold above the sea. Located on the Gower Peninsula, the area is a Dark Sky Community that retains relatively dark skies despite its popularity during the day. As darkness falls later that evening, the open coastal landscape provides excellent visibility for Perseid meteors.

6. Strumble Head

Strumble Head offers one of the clearest west-facing horizons in Wales, with the eclipsed sun appearing above the Irish Sea beside its iconic lighthouse. The remote Pembrokeshire coastline experiences very little artificial light, helping preserve dark skies after sunset. Once the eclipse ends, this rugged headland becomes an excellent place to watch the Perseids, with broad ocean views and little interference from nearby towns.

7. Llŷn Peninsula

The remote Llŷn Peninsula projects deep into the Irish Sea, offering expansive views toward the west-northwest horizon, where the eclipsed sun will appear before sunset. It is also one of the darkest regions in Wales, lying close to the protected skies of Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) Dark Sky Sanctuary. With minimal light pollution and wide rural vistas, the peninsula becomes a superb location for watching Perseid meteors later that same night.

8. Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park

Galloway Forest Park was Britain's first Dark Sky Park and remains one of the country's premier stargazing destinations. Open western views around Clatteringshaws Loch, along with other viewpoints away from the forests, make it well-suited to the low evening eclipse. After twilight fades, exceptionally dark skies reveal the Milky Way in striking detail, creating near-perfect conditions for viewing the Perseid meteor shower in the early hours — if the sky is clear.

9. Northumberland Dark Sky Park

Northumberland's Dark Sky Park combines remote landscapes with some of England's darkest skies. Locations around Kielder Water and Northumberland National Park provide broad views toward the low west-northwest eclipse shortly before sunset. Later that night, the region becomes one of the finest places in Europe to watch the Perseids, with frequent views of the Milky Way and bright meteors overhead. Check for any events at Kielder Observatory.

10. Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland offers a spectacular foreground for the eclipse, with the sun appearing low above the Atlantic beyond the famous basalt columns. Although the skies here are not as dark as in some rural parks, the north Antrim coastline still experiences relatively modest light pollution. Nearby coastal viewpoints and beaches provide good conditions for watching Perseid meteors later that night beneath expansive northern skies.

One month from today, millions will turn their eyes to the skies for one of the most anticipated skywatching events of the year: the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026.

The eclipse will sweep across parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, briefly turning day into night for those lucky enough to be within the narrow path of totality.

It's been a long time coming for European skywatchers, as the event marks Europe's first total solar eclipse since 1999.

Where can I see the total solar eclipse?

If you're hoping to experience totality, now is the time to finalize your plans. The path of totality crosses Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain, with maximum eclipse lasting up to 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

Spain is expected to be one of the most popular destinations thanks to its favorable weather prospects, though it's not without a catch! Viewers will need to secure a clear view of the western horizon because the eclipsed sun will sit very low in the sky during totality.

Will I see the eclipse from where I live?

Not inside the path of totality? Don't worry. A spectacular partial solar eclipse will be visible across much of Europe, with more than 90% of the sun covered from locations including London, Paris and Dublin.

If you're still deciding where to watch, we have several guides on the best viewing locations close to popular Spanish holiday destinations, the best Spanish beaches, and the best places to view the eclipse overall.

How we will be covering the eclipse

Over the coming weeks, Space.com will bring you everything you need to prepare for eclipse day. We'll publish viewing guides, safety advice and information on how to watch the eclipse online.

Closer to the event, we'll launch a dedicated live blog covering the latest eclipse news and insights from our reporters in the field.

Skywatching Editor Daisy Dobrijevic will join an eclipse expedition to Greenland with HX, while Skywatching Writer Anthony Wood will travel to northern Spain with the DEB initiative and citizen scientists to report firsthand from the path of totality.

For the Aug. 12, 2026, total solar eclipse, Spain's great cities will be pulling in eclipse-chasers from across Europe, but not every famous destination is equally well placed. In Barcelona and Madrid, the eclipse is a near miss — dramatic on paper, yet ultimately disappointing. Madrid gets a 99.96% partial eclipse, which means no totality, so no corona, no twilight sky and no plunge in temperature. Cue a mass exodus from Spain's two biggest cities in search of totality.

To experience a total solar eclipse, you need to be inside the narrow path of totality stretching across northern Spain, from the northwest coast to the east coast. Timing and geography matter because this is a very low-sun eclipse, with totality arriving close to sunset. Coastal beaches, riverbanks, hilltop miradors and elevated parks with unobstructed west-northwest horizons will become prime real estate for one of Europe's most anticipated astronomical events. Here are 10 cities for the eclipse, with recommended viewpoints.

Essential resources for checking and re-checking intended destinations for totality include Xavier Jubier's Interactive Google Map, which has timings and built-in sight lines from Peak Finder, as well as The Eclipse App, Eclipse Horizon Checker and the Instituto Geográfico Nacional. However, nothing beats being in place the night before to check for trees and other obstructions at the time of the eclipse. All times and cloud statistics come from Time and Date and are for totality only.

1. Valladolid

Surrounded by flat land and with an excellent chance of clear skies, Valladolid is one of the top spots for the eclipse. There will be some clear sight lines from the east bank of the Pisuerga River, specifically its Playa de las Moreras river beach, though buildings will complicate things, so play it safe and head to the Parque Urbano de las Contiendas on the west side.

2. Palencia

One of the destinations most likely to have clear skies, Palencia is surrounded by flat, open landscapes perfect for viewing a low-altitude eclipse. Key locations include the scenic Mirador de Palencia, overlooking the city from the southwest, and the elevated Cristo del Otero, overlooking the city from the north.

3. León

This historic city south of the Cantabrian Mountains is bound to be one of the hotspots for the eclipse. Considered one of the best spots to watch the sunset because of its panoramic views of the city, Mirador de las Lomas (specifically Mirador de Las Lomas Tres), overlooks León from the east and offers panoramic sunset views across the city.

4. Zaragoza

On the Ebro River between Madrid and Barcelona, Zaragoza is best known for its spectacular Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar). It just so happens that, from the historic Puente de Piedra bridge, photographers may be able to capture the totally eclipsed sun just above the silhouette of its spires. Expect crowds here, and also on the San Lázaro riverfront behind. For a quieter spot, follow the Ebro River northwest away from the city center.

5. Burgos

Famed for its medieval architecture, this provincial capital will be busy for the eclipse, but pay close attention to sight lines. Many will be close to the historic Arco de Santa María, but it's poorly placed, so instead get yourself on the northwest bank of the elevated Parque del Castillo for a low panoramic view of the city — and the eclipse.

6. Logroño

A stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, Logroño — 92 miles (148 km) south of Bilbao — is famed for the twin towers of its Cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda. Its Parque de Ebro, on the banks of the River Ebro, is ideal for eclipse-viewing, with the Puente de Piedra bridge also offering a clear view.

7. A Coruña

The first major city on mainland Europe to experience totality will be A Coruña in northwestern Spain, where its crescent-shaped Riazor and Orzan beaches will doubtless be crowded for the occasion. They're close to the city center, home to exquisite Galician seafood restaurants.

8. Gijón

There are lots of places to watch the eclipse from this large coastal city in northern Spain. The clifftop park on Santa Catalina hill is bound to be busy, but there's plenty of space on the beaches on either side — the crescent-shaped Playa de San Lorenzo on the east and artificial Playa de Poniente on the west.

9. Bilbao

Bilbao, on the Bay of Biscay at the northern edge of the path, gets a short totality, but has a spectacular elevated spot to watch the eclipse close to the center. Artxanda Viewpoint is a three-minute journey via funicular railway and gives panoramic views of the city. It's a popular sunset spot in August, so it's bound to be busy.

10. Madrid (San Sebastián de los Reyes)

Frustratingly for madrileñas, madrileños, and eclipse planners, Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun), at the heart of Madrid, gets a 99.96% partial solar eclipse. Only its northern suburbs see totality, including San Sebastián de los Reyes, 12 miles (20km) north. El Mirador de Pichón has a clear sight line to a short, dramatic totality. San Sebastián de los Reyes is one of 11 observation points curated by the Community of Madrid.

On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be visible in eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain. Eclipse chasers will travel to the path in droves, keen to witness a relatively short but ultimately dramatic totality. From Spain, eclipse chasers on the east coast will witness the rare spectacle on land of a totally eclipsed sun just a couple of degrees above the western horizon, minutes from sunset.

Read more: Total solar eclipse 2026 — Everything you need to know

What many eclipse chasers — and those unable to travel to the path of totality — may overlook is the massive partial solar eclipse visible across Europe. Across almost the entire continent, a huge chunk of the sun will appear eclipsed. Even rarer, a partially eclipsed sunset will be visible in France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Russia, Finland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Italy, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania. In Northwest Africa, a similar view awaits Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso.

This promises to be a mighty event that millions can view in some form — but do many know about it yet? Here's what you need to know about seeing a partial solar eclipse across Europe on Aug. 12, 2026.

How to read an eclipse map

The black line on the map above shows where the maximum partial eclipse will happen at sunset. In Warsaw, Poland, for example, the sun will be 83% eclipsed — the maximum there — as it sets. For locations just east of the black line, the sun sets before the partial eclipse ends. Just to the west, sunset occurs as the partial eclipse deepens.

So where should you be? For the best deep partial eclipse shots at sunset, position yourself west of the black line. Being on the line or just east of it will also work. It's less strict than the path of totality. Still, being close to the line on the northwest side is ideal.

Just remember that for all the focus on lines on a map, the spectacle itself — the deep partial eclipsed sunset — will take place on the horizon in the west-northwest.

"People living along the black sunset line will experience a beautiful deep partial eclipse at sunset," Michael Zeiler, eclipse cartographer, told Space.com. "Some ideal locations to see this over water are Algiers, Corsica, the Italian coast by the Ligurian Sea, and Venice, while High Alpine spots in eastern Austria will also have a dramatic sunset — a photographer's dream."

However, there are a few unexpected things to consider if you want the perfect view. "One interesting thing about these is that all the eclipse maps are calculating those lines for geometric sunset, which is when the middle of the sun is at the true horizon, ignoring refraction," Stephen Trainor at The Photographer's Ephemeris, told Space.com. "So what you tend to find is that actually the line isn't the line because refraction lifts the sun a little bit up — so you can usually creep a little bit the 'wrong' side of the line and you'll still be able to get the sun."

Best places to see the eclipsed sunset in Europe

Here are some places to be in Europe where you'll get views of a partially eclipsed sunset. At the selected sites, maximum obscuration occurs about 10-15 minutes before sunset. From Europe, the crescent sun will set "horns down" — a "sad face" (or upside-down "smiley face").

• Village d'Occi, Corsica, France (96% at 8:25 p.m. CEST, 24% chance of cloud, according to Timeanddate.com)
• La Spezia, Ligurian Sea, Italy (94% at 8:22 p.m. CEST, 43% chance of cloud)
• Modena, Italy (92% at 8:21 p.m. CEST, 38% chance of cloud)
• Venice, Italy (91% at 8:19 p.m. CEST, 43% chance of cloud)
• Kitzsteinhorn, Austria (89% at 8:16 p.m. CEST, 68% chance of cloud)
• Olympiaberg, Munich, Germany (88% at 8:15 p.m. CEST, 61% chance of cloud)
• Letná Park, Prague, Czechia (86% at 8:11 p.m. CEST, 65% chance of cloud)
• Ostrów Tumski, Wrocław, Poland (84% at 8:09 p.m. CEST, 66% chance of cloud)
• Warsaw, Poland (83% at 8:02 p.m. CEST, 61% chance of cloud)
• Kaunas, Lithuania (81% at 8:56 p.m. EEST, 66% chance of cloud)
• Lilastes pludmale, Gulf of Riga, Latvia (80% at 8:57 p.m. EEST, 63% chance of cloud)

Best places to see the eclipsed sunset in Africa

Here are some great places to be in northwest Africa, where you'll get views of a partially eclipsed sunset. Selected sites will experience maximum obscuration no more than 30 minutes before sunset (the sunset line largely passes through the remote Sahara Desert). From Africa, the crescent will slip beneath the horizon in the shape of the letter "C."

• Cape Matifou, Tamentfoust, Algeria (98.5% at 7:42 p.m. CET, 49% chance of cloud)
• Essaouira, Morocco (81% at 7:47 p.m. WEST, 15% chance of cloud)
• Dakar, Senegal (37% at 7:12 p.m. GMT, 82% chance of cloud)
• Banjul, Gambia (34% at 7:13 p.m. GMT, 80% chance of cloud)

Best places to see the eclipsed sunset in Spain

On Aug. 12, mainland Spain will host a path of totality for the first time since 1905. The path, about 182 miles (293 km) wide, will just miss Barcelona and Madrid. Some eclipse chasers will focus on seeing a totally eclipsed sun a few degrees above the horizon — minutes from sunset — from the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca, and Formentera). That will be spectacular if the horizon is clear. But what some may overlook is this: in some areas, a partially eclipsed sunset will follow totality.

Watch the eclipse from Spain's Meseta region — including Burgos and León — and you'll see totality, followed by a partial eclipse that finishes minutes before sunset. In Soria, Sigüenza, Zaragoza, Teruel, and farther east toward the coast, you'll see totality and then a partially eclipsed sunset. The farther east you are, the more eclipsed the sun will be as it sinks into the horizon.

Planning a trip to see the eclipsed sunset?

An unobstructed, low western horizon is essential. So are clear skies because even distant clouds can block the view of sunset. For the horizon, try this tip: search for "sunset spots near [location] in August" to find recommendations from locals and tourists. However, as Trainor says, "go out and scout the location two or three nights before so you can develop an alternative if it's not going to pan out on the ground." He also advises using both his precision planning tool, which helps photographers visualize the sun, moon, and natural light, and a "sanity check" on Google Street View, just to prove that a shot is possible.

Related: Spain's total solar eclipse 2026 comes with a catch — here's how to avoid ruining your view

For the weather, patience is required — all you can do is check forecasts three days before Aug. 12, when predictions become fairly reliable. However, predicting low clouds along the horizon is tough. You'll need clear weather for many hundreds of miles to the west-northwest.

An annular solar eclipse will occur on Feb. 6, 2027, when the moon's cone-shaped central shadow will not quite reach Earth. The result will be a 'ring of fire' visible to those within a broad path across southern Chile, Argentina and coastal parts of West Africa.

At the point of greatest eclipse in the Pacific, the moon will cover 93% of the sun's disk, leaving a relatively large bright ring visible for 7 minutes and 51 seconds. That makes it one of the longest annular solar eclipses this decade.

During an annular solar eclipse, it is NEVER safe to look directly at the sun without solar eclipse glasses designed for solar viewing. Read our guide on how to observe the sun safely.

This annular solar eclipse has a long and broad path, rising southwest of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in the south Pacific Ocean and setting in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.

That journey is 9,011 miles (14,501 kilometers), with the path between 180-220 miles (289-355 km) wide. The path of annularity crosses southern parts of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and (a tiny sliver of) Brazil in South America. After crossing the Atlantic, the northern edge of the path just makes land in the Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.

The Path of Annularity: South America

Eclipse chasers wanting to observe annularity high in the sky while on land should head to Chile or Argentina, with the latter having a better chance of a clear sky. The path crosses northern Patagonia, a region of wide skies, low population, and — crucially in February — a generally favorable climate.

As it reaches Chile's Pacific coast, the "ring of fire" will sit around 50° above the northeast, but this region of mountains and fjords is both logistically challenging and likely cloudy. Average February cloud cover along the centerline in Chile is typically around 65%, while just across the mountains in a classic rain-shadow zone in Argentina's Patagonian plains, cloud cover drops to as low as 30%, according to meteorologist Jay Anderson on Eclipsophile.com.

Standout locations in the rain-shadow include El Maitén (which is being favored by eclipse tour groups), Esquel and Trevelin, where annularity occurs just before midday. There's a similarly small chance of cloud on Argentina's Atlantic coast, with potential observing locations including Las Grutas on the San Matias Gulf and, south of Buenos Aires, the lush Laguna La Brava.

Although the path brushes Uruguay (just missing Montevideo), and nicks Brazil (just missing Rio de Janeiro), once the centerline of the path of annularity leaves Argentina, it doesn't make landfall again.

The Path of Annularity: Africa

After crossing the South Atlantic, the path of annularity makes its final landfall in West Africa, reaching Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.

Here, the eclipse unfolds late in the day, with the "ring of fire" hanging low in the western sky as it approaches the horizon. At Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, the sun will be 7.7° above west-southwest just 30 minutes before sunset, though a potentially orange-golden "ring of fire" will last for just a fleeting moment. Other potential observing locations include Cape of Three Points in Ghana for a long annular phase just six degrees above the horizon, as well as the capital city, Accra, where it's just four degrees up. Lomé in Togo, Cotonou in Benin and Lagos in Nigeria will see the annular phase moments before sunset.

Although statistics show cumulus cloud cover in this region to be common, much of it dissipates by late afternoon, according to Anderson, with sea-breeze winds from the Atlantic — as well as "eclipse cooling" — potentially helping. As such, there's around a 90% chance of a clear sky in this region for a spectacular sunset "ring of fire." A much bigger problem, however, could come from Saharan dust, with reduced clarity likely.

Why does the 2027 'ring of fire' last so long?

The Feb. 6, 2027 annular solar eclipse is unusually long, with its maximum phase lasting up to 7 minutes 51 seconds just off the coast of Brazil — far longer than most annular eclipses, and significantly longer than the totality phase during a total solar eclipse.

The reason is geometry. Annular eclipses happen when the moon is near apogee, its farthest point from Earth, making it appear slightly too small to cover the sun. Instead of a brief blackout, the moon takes longer to cross the sun's face, leaving a bright ring visible throughout. The moon reaches apogee three days before Feb. 6, 2027.

That duration is extended because Earth is near perihelion in early January, when the sun appears marginally larger than average. A smaller apparent moon and a larger apparent sun combine to lengthen the event.

Even so, 2027 is not a record-breaker. Under a near-perfect alignment, annularity can theoretically last up to about 12 minutes and 29 seconds. The longest this century occurred on Jan. 15, 2010, when the ring of fire persisted for just over 11 minutes.

Additional resources

Want to look further ahead? You can find a concise summary of solar eclipses out to 2030 on NASA's eclipse website. Read more about solar and lunar eclipses on EclipseWise.com, a website dedicated to predictions of eclipses. See beautiful maps on eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler's GreatAmericanEclipse.com and interactive Google Maps on Xavier Jubier's eclipse website. You can find climate and weather predictions by meteorologist Jay Anderson on eclipsophile.com.

Bibliography

Anderson, J. Annular Solar Eclipse February 6, 2027. Retrieved May 5, 2026, from https://eclipsophile.com/ase-2027/

Bakich, M. and Zeiler, M. (2022). Atlas Of Solar Eclipses 2020-2045.

Espenak, F. Solar Eclipse Prime Page: Annular Solar Eclipse of 2027 Feb 06. Retrieved May 5, 2026, from: https://eclipsewise.com/oh/ec2027.html#SE2027Feb06A

Jubier, X. (n.d.). Solar eclipses: Interactive Google Maps. Retrieved May 5, 2026, from http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipsesGoogleMaps.html

Time and Date. (n.d.). 17 February 2026 Annular Solar Eclipse. Retrieved May 5, 2026, from https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2026-february-17

Related: What's the difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse?

Beaches offer wide-open spaces and low-horizon views, making them ideal for skywatching. For the Aug. 12, 2026, total solar eclipse, Spain's beaches will be among the most sought-after locations — but not all will deliver. The path of totality crosses the north and east of the country just before sunset, with the sun low in the west-northwest. Many top resorts face east for sunrise views, so at the crucial moment, the sun may be blocked by hotels or terrain behind you.

To experience totality — the brief period during a solar eclipse when the sun is completely covered by the moon — clearly, being on the coast isn't enough — you need a clear, unobstructed view to the west-northwest, ideally over open water. That's why the best eclipse beaches are either on Spain's Atlantic-facing north coast, where the horizon is open, or in carefully chosen Mediterranean spots where development is low, and sightlines are clean.

The altitude of the eclipsed sun matters: in Galicia, Asturias, and the Cantabrian Coast, it's 12 to 9 degrees above the horizon — manageable but low. On the Mediterranean and Balearic Islands, it's just 4 to 2 degrees, turning totality into a fleeting event easily obscured by haze or thin cloud.

Choose your beach wisely (checking tide times a few weeks in advance on Surf Forecast or Tide Forecast), and you'll watch the moon's shadow race in from the Atlantic before revealing the corona during totality, just minutes before sunset.

Get it wrong, and you could miss everything.

Essential resources for checking and re-checking intended destinations for totality include Xavier Jubier's Interactive Google Map, which has timings and built-in sightlines from Peak Finder, as well as The Eclipse App, Eclipse Horizon Checker and the Instituto Geográfico Nacional. The best advice is to test your location the day before the eclipse. Let's look at some of the best beaches in Spain for eclipse viewing, complete with details on timing and conditions.

1. Praia de Alba e Sabón, Galicia

Easily accessible just south of A Coruña, this broad, open beach offers excellent infrastructure and long, flat stretches of sand. Its clear west-northwest outlook makes it ideal for a low, pre-sunset eclipse, with uninterrupted ocean horizons, coastal paths, and easy access.

2. Playa de Langre, Cantabria

A wild, cliff-backed beach east of Santander, Langre offers a dramatic natural amphitheater facing west-northwest. Wide sands and elevated viewpoints above the cliffs provide excellent sightlines for a low eclipse. Access requires a short walk, but an expansive horizon and striking scenery are the reward.

3. Playa de las Catedrales, Galicia

Famed for its towering rock arches, this dramatic beach offers a spectacular setting — but requires planning. Strict visitor limits and tides complicate access, so consider the clifftop gardens above for an easier option. Both provide wide northwest views, ideal for watching the eclipsed sun sink toward the Atlantic horizon.

4. Playa El Puntal de Somo, Cantabria

A vast, exposed sandbar near Santander, El Puntal offers huge open skies and uninterrupted west-northwest views across the bay. Easily reached by boat or car, its sheer scale allows plenty of space to spread out — ideal for a relaxed, crowd-free eclipse watch with clear horizons toward the setting sun. An epic experience awaits.

5. Platja de Riumar, Ebro Delta

The Ebro Delta is one of Spain's largest and most distinctive natural landscapes — a vast mosaic of wetlands, lagoons, rice fields, and barrier beaches extending into the Mediterranean. Set close to the mouth of the Ebro River, Riumar Beach offers uninterrupted views to the northwest.

6. Platya del Gurugú, Castellón

This flat, sandy beach south of Benicàssim is unusually open, with minimal development behind it thanks to a nearby airstrip. That translates into clean, unobstructed views toward the west-northwest — crucial for this very low eclipse. Easy access and wide sightlines make it a practical and reliable Mediterranean option.

7. Es Trenc, Mallorca

Remote but popular, Es Trenc offers long sands and wide western sea views. Its undeveloped backdrop ensures minimal obstruction, though its narrow width can feel busy. For a horizon-hugging eclipse, its sightlines and natural setting make it a prime choice in Mallorca. Note: Es Trenc is an unofficial nudist beach.

8. Platja Estanys, Mallorca

Close to Colònia de Sant Jordi, this bright beach offers easy access and unobstructed views to the west-northwest. Minimal elevation and calm waters with nearby facilities make it a straightforward observing spot.

9. Platja des Carbó, Mallorca

A quieter, undeveloped stretch reached by a short coastal walk, Es Carbó offers pristine sands and uninterrupted horizons. Its isolation means fewer crowds — ideal for photographers tracking a low eclipse.

10. Platja de Son Bou, Menorca

Menorca's longest beach provides a broad, accessible platform for a very low, horizon-skimming eclipse moments before sunset. Its west-northwest outlook across the open sea is excellent. Lots of facilities and space make it an easy, reliable choice — though it could be immensely popular.

On Aug. 12, 2026, millions of people across Spain will witness a solar eclipse. Trouble is, some will think they're seeing the main event when they're not, while others will have their view of the all-important, 100% eclipsed sun blocked by mountains or clouds.

This is the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999, with much of northern Spain within the path of totality. However, this eclipse happens extremely late in the day, with the eclipsed sun hanging low above the west-northwest horizon just before sunset.

From Galicia and Asturias to Aragón, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, successful eclipse-chasing in Spain will depend far less on simply being within the path of totality than on precise positioning.

Here are the biggest ways eclipse travelers could accidentally miss the spectacle — and how experienced eclipse chasers will plan to avoid disappointment.

1. Staying outside the path of totality

If you hear anyone utter the immortal phrase "90% totality" or anything similar, scream. There is no such thing as partial totality — just a partial eclipse and a total eclipse. On Aug. 12, 2026, the path of totality in Spain will be about 190 miles (305 km) wide as it strikes Galicia and, remarkably, will slip between Madrid and Barcelona, Spain's biggest cities.

Observers in those two cities will see an extremely deep partial eclipse, but not totality — no view of the corona and the many other phenomena that occur only during totality. A 99% partial solar eclipse may sound dramatic, but the remaining 1% of direct sunlight is still overwhelmingly bright. For eclipse chasers, there is a simple rule: totality or bust.

2. Choosing the wrong horizon

This eclipse occurs at a very low altitude in Spain. In northwestern Spain, the eclipsed sun will sit roughly 10-12-° above the horizon during totality. In eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands, it will be just 2-5° high. Along the Mediterranean coast, the irony is particularly cruel. Its resorts are designed to face east toward the sea for sunrise views, while the eclipse occurs low in the west-northwest, close to sunset. In these locations, the eclipse could happen behind buildings, trees and hills. Experienced eclipse chasers know that for this eclipse, horizon geometry matters more than almost anything else.

3. Underestimating Spain's terrain

Spain's landscape is spectacular, but it may work against eclipse observers. The mountainous terrain of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Iberian Highlands creates endless dramatic viewpoints, medieval hill towns and forested ridges. However, many of those locations are poorly positioned for a low-altitude eclipse. For the 2026 eclipse, observers need an unobstructed west-northwest view and minimal terrain blocking the horizon. This is especially important inland in eastern Spain, where even distant hills can block the sun when it is only a few degrees above the horizon.

4. Misunderstanding weather forecasts

One of the most misunderstood aspects of eclipse-chasing is weather. Among eclipse chasers, there's a famous saying: "Climate is what you expect. The weather is what you get." Spain's climatology for August is generally favorable, particularly inland in Castile and León, the Ebro Valley and Aragón, but not only is what actually happens on the day hard to predict, but it's also not entirely relevant because totality will occur so low above the horizon. According to the eclipse experts at Besselian Elements, observers on Mallorca waiting for a totality only about 2.5° above the horizon will actually be looking through hundreds of miles of Earth's atmosphere, meaning distant clouds far beyond the local forecast area could still block their view. Most weather forecasts describe conditions directly overhead, which may not be relevant for the 2026 eclipse. That climate change appears to be making traditional seasonal weather patterns less predictable in some parts of Europe just adds to the complication. It's why many eclipse chasers will make their final viewing decision only 24 hours before the eclipse.

5. Getting trapped in traffic

Spain could experience one of Europe's largest eclipse tourism events in modern history. That Barcelona (population 1.7 million) and Madrid (3.5 million) are just outside the path of totality means there could be intense pressure on the road system in the hours before, and particularly after, the eclipse. Expect severe congestion near major cities, coastal resorts and famous viewing locations, with areas around Madrid, Barcelona, Tarragona, Zaragoza and Valencia all potential black spots. Some of the quietest roads are predicted to be from Salamanca, south of the path of totality, to Zamora and Valladolid within the path, a region (Castile and León) with among the best chances of clear skies.

You can maximize your chances of avoiding traffic by prioritizing practicality over aesthetics, avoiding cities, beaches, lighthouses and castles in favor of open farmland, reservoir shorelines, roadside pull-offs — any northwest-facing open terrain. The best eclipse observing site is one with the cleanest sightline low to the northwest horizon.

How to check your viewing spot for the 2026 total solar eclipse

Thankfully, there are extensive resources for checking the eclipse path, sight lines and weather data for any location in Spain during this eclipse. However, nothing beats being at your intended location the night before the eclipse to check for trees and other obstructions at the time of the eclipse. Here are some excellent resources to help you plan and check your observing location, ordered by the workflow an eclipse chaser follows:

• Eclipsophile.com: an analysis of the climate of the path of totality in 2026 by eclipse meteorologist Jay Anderson.
• Eclipse Atlas: eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler's maps are ideal for understanding the overall geometry of the eclipse path.
• Besselian Elements (map): an incredibly accurate map using the latest solar diameter, which will be extremely useful if you plan to watch the eclipse from somewhere close to the edge of the path of totality.
• Xavier Jubier's Interactive Google Map: with timings and built-in sight lines from Peak Finder to help you check the terrain.
• Google Maps: its 3D mode is useful for getting a basic sense of the terrain and for finding exact coordinates for any location.
• The Eclipse App: includes precise timings, a visualization of exactly where shadows will fall during totality, a countdown and real-time weather.
• Eclipse Horizon Checker lets you enter exact coordinates (which you can get from Google Maps), then checks the sight lines and adds a comment on tree canopy cover, if relevant.
• Instituto Geográfico Nacional: assesses the sight line to the eclipse for any point highlighted on its map
• TPE (The Photographer's Ephemeris): a simulator that allows the user to see precisely where on the horizon the eclipse will take place.
• PhotoPills: a smartphone app that lets you see where the eclipse will be on the horizon.
• NASA Worldview: daily global images back 25 years from NASA's polar-orbiting EOSDIS satellite.
• Windy.com: a popular app for checking real-time cloud forecasts from seven different models (though remember that overhead sky conditions are only half the story)
• Solar Eclipse Timer: a talking timer from eclipse expert Gordon Telepun; the final eclipse-day execution tool once you're on site

For the Aug. 12, 2026, total solar eclipse, Spain's iconic holiday hubs will be buzzing, but many are outside the path of totality. If you're in the Costa Brava or Barcelona, you're in the danger zone of missing out. Barcelona will experience a 99% partial eclipse, which might sound impressive, but in practice it's no more interesting than a 10% eclipse; you miss the corona, the sudden darkness and the drop in temperature.

In eclipse chasing, it's totality or bust — and that means getting in the path of totality, on the east coast of Spain, between Vilanova i la Geltrú in the north, close to Barcelona, and Cullera, just south of Valencia. Here, the eclipsed sun will be about four degrees above the west-northwest horizon, but most Mediterranean resorts face the water to the east, meaning the sun will be behind you, hidden by hotels or hills. To see the corona, you need an unobstructed northwest-facing view. Wide, flat areas like the Ebro Delta, high ground and well-positioned miradors are worth searching out. The same goes for the Balearic Islands, where a sunset eclipse — totality takes place barely 2 degrees above the horizon — can be enjoyed from west-facing beaches.

Essential resources for checking and re-checking intended destinations for totality include Xavier Jubier's Interactive Google Map, which has timings and built-in sightlines from Peak Finder, as well as The Eclipse App, Eclipse Horizon Checker and the Instituto Geográfico Nacional. Do your research and, if you can, check the location the night before for a clear view of the sunset.

1. Playa de Palma, Mallorca

It won't do to be in Palma de Mallorca, the island's capital, come totality. Escaping to the rugged west coast is one option, but another is to head down the coast to this long sandy beach resort stretching between Can Pastilla and S'Arenal. Its lively promenade will host a fine view of the eclipsed sun just before sunset, though avoid the first miles or so southeast of Can Pastilla, which will have obstructed sightlines.

2. Playa de la Malvarrosa, Valencia

Just a stone's throw from the city center, Valencia's best-known beach has fine sand, a relaxed atmosphere and — if you're careful — clear sightlines to the eclipse. The port, at the south end of the beach, is also an option.

3. La Muntanyeta dels Sants, Valencia

Chasing such a short totality might seem crazy, but clear sightlines from the east coast are rare — and this location has everything. Inside Albufera Natural Park, this watchtower is a limestone promontory that gives views across paddy fields.

4. Platja de Llevant, Salou

A popular, family-friendly resort town on Spain's Costa Daurada (or Costa Dorada), Salou is close to the northern limit of the path of totality, but still has a reasonably long totality. It's known for its Llevant golden sand beach, with the place to be a mirador at its eastern end, on the Punta del Cavall promontory that overlooks the coast. It's one of 25 viewpoints along a coastal path.

5. Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia

Also called Circuit de Valencia, this motor racing track holds the finale of the MotoGP season, but on Aug. 12 it looks set to stage a mass observing event. It's got high ground to the northwest, so sightlines will likely be tight, but the southeast of the circuit has a clear view of a short totality

6. Vinaròs, Costa del Azahar

On the Costa del Azahar — the Orange Blossom Coast — Vinaròs is renowned for its beaches, coves and its red prawns. Those after clear sightlines here will struggle, but there is one option: Far de Vinaròs, a lighthouse with views back to the northwest.

7. Altafulla, Catalonia

A smaller, quieter alternative to the neighboring large cities, Altafulla has a well-preserved old town. Its beaches — Platja de Tamarit and Platja d'Altafulla — will offer open views, particularly near Búnquer d'Altafulla. However, it's close to the northern limit of the path, so totality is short.

8. Far d'Artrutx, Menorca

Far d'Artrutx is a lighthouse at the extreme southwest corner of Menorca, from where Mallorca can be seen in the distance. The town above it, Cap d'Artrutx, has a long promenade along a low cliff edge where thousands will gather to watch totality, followed by a deep, partially eclipsed sun sinking into the Mediterranean.

9. Llacuna de l'Encanyissada, Ebro Delta

Llacuna de l'Encanyissada — the largest lagoon in the Ebro Delta — is a nature reserve and has a low and unobstructed sightline west-northwest across a lagoon. It's ringed by raised tracks, levees and birdwatching hides.

10. Montsià Hills, Catalonia

Hikers after something special — and prepared to take the chance of cloud — could consider ascending to la Torreta del Montsià, at 2,506 ft. (764 m), the highest point of the Serra del Montsià range. It's above Sant Carles de la Ràpita and inland from the Ebro Delta.

If you've ever dreamed of seeing a total solar eclipse, the next few years present a rare opportunity. Between 2026 and 2028, Earth will experience three total solar eclipses in two years, but it's the first two that are sparking debate among wannabe eclipse chasers.

On Aug. 12, 2026, and Aug. 2, 2027, the moon's shadow will sweep across some of the most accessible and visually striking regions on Earth. Both events promise unforgettable views of the sun's corona, plunging daytime into an eerie twilight. Yet they offer very different experiences.

Given that eclipse chasing is an expensive business, if you can only choose one, which should it be?

2026 total solar eclipse: pros and cons

Do you really want to miss the next eclipse? By the time Aug. 12, 2026, comes along, it will have been almost two-and-a-half years since the last one in North America. This time, the path of totality begins in Siberia, crosses eastern Greenland and western Iceland, then arcs across northern Spain, before ending in the Mediterranean.

For Europeans, this is a no-brainer. The first total solar eclipse over mainland Europe since 1999, the path of totality includes Reykjavik, Iceland and Spanish cities such as Bilbao, Zaragoza, León, Burgos and Valladolid. The path of totality is only a few hours' drive from Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Marseille and Lyon in France and only a day's drive from Paris, Geneva in Switzerland and Turin in Italy. Besides, Spain receives about 11 million visitors each August; many Europeans will already be in Spain.

While in Iceland, there are dramatic landscapes — volcanic terrain, glaciers and rugged coastlines — in Spain, the sun will be relatively low in the sky, creating the relatively rare spectacle of a totally eclipsed sun on land just before sunset (that effect will reach its nadir in the Balearic Islands).

However, there are trade-offs. Congestion is expected in Iceland and Spain, maximum totality will last just over two minutes — a shorter time than is possible — and clear skies are not guaranteed. In Spain, wildfires could create a smoky atmosphere, reducing clarity (as happened in summer 2025).

2027 total solar eclipse: pros and cons

On Aug. 2, 2027, the "eclipse of the century" will take place, its nickname derived from its exceptionally long duration of totality. In Luxor, Egypt, the moon will completely cover the sun for 6 minutes and 22 seconds — more than three times longer than in 2026. In fact, it will be the longest inland totality since July 11, 1991, and the longest until Aug. 3, 2114.

The path of totality will stretch from Spain — this time, the south of the country — through North Africa and into the Middle East. While Spain offers a European setting, many eclipse chasers are eyeing destinations like Tunisia and Egypt for their very long totalities and very high chances of clear skies. Luxor, in particular, has become a focal point. With its ancient sites such as Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings nearby, it offers a striking backdrop. The risk of clouds is lower than that of a dust storm.

Again, there are trade-offs. Travel to North Africa or the Middle East may require more planning, higher costs and longer journeys. The scramble to get on organized tours to Luxor makes it prohibitively expensive, and by now, near-impossible. There's also intense summer heat to worry about (an average daytime high of 105°F/41°C in Luxor), adding another layer of preparation.

Key factors to consider

When choosing between the 2026 and 2027 eclipses, a few core differences stand out that may help eclipse chasers decide:

• Duration: The 2027 eclipse is significantly longer, offering an immersive experience. The 2026 event is shorter and arguably more dramatic. However, this only applies if you are close to the centerline of the path of totality.
• Weather: Northern Spain and Iceland in 2026 carry moderate cloud risk, while southern Spain and North Africa in 2027 generally offer more reliable sunshine, though coastal cloud can still be an issue. Don't conflate climate — the science of averages — with weather forecasts three days before the eclipse. The latter is all that matters.
• Accessibility: The 2026 eclipse is easier for European travelers, with straightforward transport and familiar infrastructure. The 2027 eclipse may involve more complex planning, especially outside Spain.
• Viewing conditions: A low sun in 2026 creates dramatic visuals, but requires a clear horizon. The higher sun in 2027 simplifies viewing, but takes place in mostly much hotter conditions.
• Crowds and logistics: Both events will be busy, but 2027 — especially in southern Spain — may see more concentrated crowds, particularly if the 2026 eclipse acts as a global advertisement for 2027's "eclipse of the century."

Why prioritizing by duration is a mistake

There's a number that dominates almost every conversation among inexperienced eclipse chasers about a total solar eclipse: duration. Two minutes, four minutes, six minutes. It's treated like a score — as if longer automatically means better. It doesn't. The miracle isn't how long totality lasts — it's that it happens at all. The sun and moon appear almost the same size in our sky by pure coincidence. When they align perfectly, day turns briefly into night. Given how short all total solar eclipses are, being at all concerned about how many seconds totality lasts is actually ridiculous.

In fact, shorter eclipses are very often more dramatic — more sudden, more intense, more unforgettable. If you're after drama, a total solar eclipse will deliver — and I guarantee you will never remember exactly how many seconds it lasted. There's a reason why some experienced eclipse chasers head to the edge of the path of totality to glimpse a 1-second totality.

Sure, there's a good case to be made that the 2027 total solar eclipse is the exception to this rule purely because of the extreme length of totality. After all, the longest until 2114 is really hard not to get excited about. Yes, there will be more time to absorb the changing light, the drop in temperature, and to take in the solar corona in detail. If you're heading to Luxor in 2027, great decision — you'll not regret it. However, anyone watching an eclipsed sun on the cusp of setting while on a beach in the Balearic Islands in 2026 will have just as much drama — if not more.

There's a cautionary tale from recent history. Many eclipse chasers ignored South America's total solar eclipse in 2019, which was short and predicted by some to be cloudy, for a slightly longer, supposedly clearer one in 2020 in almost the same place. Both COVID-19 and intense rainstorms kiboshed those plans.

The conclusion, of course, is simple: if you can afford it, always go to the next total solar eclipse, no matter the duration, no matter the climatic predictions.

Spain's double totality

One of the most fascinating aspects of this eclipse cycle is Spain's unique position. It sits in the path of totality for both 2026 and 2027 — offering two entirely different eclipse experiences just a year apart.

In 2026, Spain delivers a low, sunset eclipse across its northern and central regions. Open landscapes in Castilla y León — around León, Burgos and Palencia — are expected to be popular for their clearer western horizons and slightly higher sun. Coastal and eastern areas offer more dramatic settings, but come with greater risk from haze and obstruction.

In 2027, the focus shifts south to Andalucía. Here, the eclipse occurs high in the sky, with durations exceeding 4 minutes near the Strait of Gibraltar. Locations like Tarifa, Cádiz and inland hill towns offer expansive views and long totality, though with the likelihood of heavy crowds.

The contrast is striking. One year offers a fleeting, cinematic eclipse around sunset; the next delivers a long, high-altitude spectacle. Anyone heading to Spain twice in succession will have a case study in how different eclipses can feel.

What kind of eclipse experience do you want?

Eclipse chasing is about choosing the experience you want, so if you're deciding between the 2026 and 2027 total solar eclipses, think about where you want to travel. "I always highly recommend picking someplace in the path of totality you'd like to go to, regardless of whether or not the total eclipse would be happening," Tyler Nordgren, an Ithaca, New York-based astronomer and eclipse artist at Space Art Travel Bureau, told Space.com.

Iceland in August — with an almost midnight sun — is a bucket-list experience in itself. So is touring the castles of Spain, or seeing the Arctic fjords in Greenland.

Wherever you plan to go, bear in mind the practical reality on the day. You may plan to be on the centerline for a super-long totality, but if there are clouds, you may find yourself driving to the edge of the path, where totality lasts only a few seconds, but in a clear sky. Be inside the moon's umbral shadow, and be forever grateful, for being able to witness nature's most perfect moment is the real prize.

On Aug. 12, 2026, the moon's shadow will sweep across northern Spain, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, creating a rare sunset total solar eclipse. For a few fleeting minutes and seconds, the sun will be completely blocked, revealing its delicate outer atmosphere — the corona — as the landscape is bathed in an eerie twilight.

Spain offers an exciting opportunity to experience low-altitude totality near sunset. By the time totality begins, the sun will already be sinking toward the western horizon — around 10 degrees high in the northwest and dropping to just a few degrees in eastern regions.

That's why rural locations matter. Wide-open landscapes — miradors on high plateaus, wetlands, vineyards and semi-desert terrain — offer the kind of uninterrupted sightlines needed to track the eclipsed sun as it dips toward the horizon.

These locations have all been checked using resources including Xavier Jubier's Interactive Google Map, which has timings and built-in sightlines from Peak inder, as well as The Eclipse App and Eclipse Horizon Checker, while cloud cover is from Time and Date. However, the best advice is to check the weather, choose a location and confirm sightlines the night before the eclipse.

1. Castildetierra (Fairy's Chimney), Navarre

A bizarre, eroded pillar in the shape of a chimney, Castildetierra (known as the Fairy's Chimney), is within Bardenas Reales Natural Park, near the town of Tudela in Navarre. It's a semi-desert landscape with clear sightlines and plenty of places to park.

2. Talatí de Dalt, Menorca

The island of Menorca — also a Starlight-certified destination — is scattered with dozens of sites from a Neolithic Talayotic culture, which built huge stone structures without mortar between about 1,000 and 123 B.C.E. There are many sites, but Talatí de Dalt stands out for both its accessibility and unusual T-shaped ceremonial monument. It's on flat land, but this remains a risky choice because the eclipse will take place very low on the horizon, so if you're planning to come here, check the sightlines the previous day.

3. Zamarramala, Castile and León

The historic city of Segovia, northwest of Madrid, will be hugely popular for the eclipse because of its aqueduct, but it has relatively difficult sightlines for such a low eclipse. Just to the north is Zamarramala, a village that stands above its surroundings on a high plateau. It will have an unobstructed 360-degree view of the eclipse above a flat landscape of Castilian fields.

4. Calatañazor, Castile and León

Above the ominously named Valley of Blood, close to the centerline of the path of totality, is Calatañazor, a small village named after the tiny fortified city on top of a hill. Its well-preserved medieval look, with paved streets and traditional houses, has made it a backdrop for movies, most famously Orson Welles' Chimes at Midnight.

5. Laguna de Gallocanta, Spain

Almost bang on the centerline, this rain-fed salt lake on a high plateau in the south-west of Aragon is best known for cranes in winter, though in August you're more likely to see bustards, flamingos, harriers, vultures and the golden eagle. It's a wide, flat, undeveloped landscape framed by picturesque mountain ranges, with nearby places to stop, including Observatorio de la Reguera, Observatorio El Cañizar, and Mirador de aves de Tornos.

6. Alfaro Wetlands, La Rioja

The Alfaro wetlands nature reserve in La Rioja, near the border with Navarre, is a protected wetland area along the Ebro River. Among its meanders, islands and beaches, there are storks, herons, cormorants and kingfishers. The best eclipse-viewing spots will be open meadows and flat, grassy areas away from trees.

7. Arcos de las Salinas, Teruel

South of Teruel, in the heart of the Gúdar-Javalambre region, is the "interstellar town" of Arcos de las Salinas. It's home to Galáctica, Europe's largest astronomy outreach center, which will stage a special ticketed event for the eclipse. Mirador de Estrellas de Arcos de las Salinas, beside an area of telescopes, will have a view of the totally eclipsed sun just above the mountains.

8. Fortaleza califal de Gormaz, Soria

This Islamic citadel, dating to the 8th century, has well-preserved walls, watchtowers and a horseshoe arch above its main door. Almost as if it were created for the eclipse, the walls face northwest to create the perfect balcony for watching the moon's shadow approach across a rural landscape.

9. Lago Enol, Asturias

There are myriad miradors in the Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa that offer spectacular vistas not only of the mountains but also of the Cantabrian Sea beyond. One is Lago Enol, a high mountain lake that won't see the eclipse, but whose Mirador del Príncipe de Asturias offers an excellent vantage point if the weather is clear.

10. San Vicente de la Sonsierra, La Rioja

The Ebro River basin is a major destination for this eclipse, stretching from La Rioja and Navarra in the west through Zaragoza and into Aragón. On the slopes of the Sierra de Cantabria in La Rioja, San Vicente de la Sonsierra is a village at the top of a hill overlooking the Ebro River, with sweeping views toward the setting sun in August. It's also a winemaking area along the Ruta del Vino.

Looking for inspiration or deep research for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026? Stretching across eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, the moon's shadow will carve out a roughly 190-mile (305 kilometers) wide path of totality — a fleeting corridor where the sun will be completely blocked by the moon, revealing its ghostly corona for a minute or two and plunging the landscape into twilight.

What follows is a curated mix of 15 locations — from remote Arctic fjords to city center viewpoints and high, dry plains — each offering a different way to experience one of nature's most extraordinary spectacles.

However, this is not a simple one-size-fits-all eclipse — the experience will dramatically differ depending on where you stand. In Greenland and Iceland, the eclipsed sun will hang relatively high in the sky. In Spain, it will be about 12 degrees above the horizon in Galicia, but dropping to just a few degrees above the horizon in the Balearic Islands. In some areas of Spain, even a low ridge, a distant hill or a line of buildings could block your view at the crucial moment, so choosing the right location is everything.

These locations have all been checked using resources including Xavier Jubier's Interactive Google Map, which has timings and built-in sightlines from Peak Finder, as well as The Eclipse App, Eclipse Horizon Checker and the Instituto Geográfico Nacional.

However, the best advice is always to scout out the location the day before, at the time of the eclipse, to check sightlines. Cloud cover information comes from Time and Date, though check the weather forecast before traveling, and again on the day itself.

1. Segovia, Spain

An epic vista for the eclipse will be possible from this mirador, which also has views of the majestic Alcázar de Segovia, the inspiration for the castle in Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty. It faces the open plains of Castile to the west and is accessed via a path from Arco de la Fuencisla. However, it's a short totality from Segovia.

2. Saxhóll Crater, Iceland

The western end of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is where totality lasts longest in Iceland. About 5.5 miles (9 km) south of Hellissandur on the peninsula's westernmost tip, Saxhóll Crater is an easy climb. It's inside Snæfellsjökull National Park.

3. Becerril de Campos, Spain

Becerril de Campos is one of many small towns within the flat plains of Palencia that will offer open views across the surrounding landscape. The town's San Pedro Cultural Becerril de Campos is a converted Romanesque church now used as an astronomy center. Inside is a Foucault pendulum, which demonstrates the Earth's rotation.

4. Reykjavík Domestic Airport, Iceland

Both airports in Iceland — Reykjavík Domestic Airport (RKV) and Keflavík International Airport — are in the path of totality. The former, just a short walk from the city center, has a fabulous southwest-facing coastline where food stalls will be set up, with plans to accommodate around 10,000 people all along the seafront.

5. Nordvestfjord, Greenland

Getting close to the centerline of the path of totality anywhere but Spain is a challenge, but it comes with a reward. Realistically, the only option in Greenland is Nordvestfjord (Northwest Fjord) in Scoresby Sund, a region known for icebergs and Arctic wildlife, including muskox with occasional sightings of polar bears and walruses. Here, a 2-minute, 16-second totality is possible, but you'll need to be on an expedition cruise ship to access it.

6. Castillo de Osma, Spain

This strategically placed citadel, dating from the 11th century, perched above the Ucero River, Osma Castle offers sweeping views of the Castilian landscape and a sense of Spain's medieval frontier history. Its weathered stone walls and commanding hilltop position on the edge of Ciudad de Osma make it a striking stop for eclipse chasers.

7. Mount Helgafell, Iceland

For sweeping, uninterrupted views across Reykjavík, Faxaflói Bay, and the Reykjanes Peninsula, take a 45-minute hike from Kaldársel through a lava field to the top of this 338-meter volcanic hill. It's just south of Hafnarfjörður in Greater Reykjavík.

8. Mirador del Sablón, Spain

You may have to get here early to get a place on the most beautiful bench in the world, but if the sky is clear on the wild Asturian coast, you'll get a view of the eclipse above the Cantabrian Sea.

9. Hallgrímskirkja, Iceland

The chances of getting a vantage point in the tower of Iceland's tallest and most dramatic church are probably slim, but whoever does get a ticket is sure to get a spectacular 360-degree view of the city, surrounding mountains and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

10. Muriel Viejo, Spain

Mirador La Peñota is an observation deck on high ground at the western end of the Sierra de Cabrejas, a 33,000-hectare area of juniper forests. Although completely isolated and with a clear view to the northwest, it's close to the small town of Muriel Viejo, a Starlight Tourist Destination in the Pinares de Soria region west of Soria. Muriel Viejo is home to the Starlight Foundation-certified El Cielo de Muriel, which is fully booked but intends to hold an observation event open to non-guests.

11. Ella Island, Greenland

The only way to visit this remote island in East Greenland is via a polar expedition cruise ship. At the confluence of five iceberg-filled fjords, it hosts a summer station used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite Danish naval unit enforcing Danish sovereignty in the Arctic.

12. Santillana del Mar, Cantabria

Home to medieval towers, Renaissance palaces and churches, Santillana del Mar is one of Spain's most beautiful villages. Just 5 miles (8km) north is Torre de San Telmo, a 14th-century medieval watchtower on a cliff with expansive views over the ocean to the north and the Picos de Europa mountains to the south. It's part of a beautiful coastal walk.

13. Santander Bay, Spain

About 3 miles (5 km) from Santander, the 19th-century Faro de Cabo Mayor lighthouse watches the entrance to Santander Bay and offers dramatic cliff-top views — and spectacular coastal walks — perfect for the eclipse if skies are clear.

14. Geirfuglinn (The Great Auk), Iceland

The geirfuglinn (great auk) was a flightless bird that lived on Iceland and became extinct in the mid-19th century. Stand close to this sculpture, and you'll be among the last in Iceland to experience totality. Reykjanes lighthouse is nearby.

15. S'Arenal, Spain

For a clean, sea-level view of totality, S'Arenal is one of the most practical locations on Mallorca's south coast. Sitting at the southeastern end of Playa de Palma, it offers an uninterrupted west-northwest horizon — exactly where the eclipsed sun will hang just a couple of degrees above the sea.

Last week, Artemis 2 astronauts witnessed a total solar eclipse from space, as the Orion spacecraft spent nearly an hour in the moon's shadow. But, as a remote team at the French-Italian Concordia Research Station recently experienced, you don't need to travel beyond the moon to see a truly private eclipse.

The Concordia Research Station is the most remote research base in Antarctica, located 750 miles (1207 kilometers) inland at an altitude of 10,600 feet (3,230 meters). The small crew stationed there endures average winter temperatures of -58 degrees Fahrenheit (-50 degrees Celsius), and four months each without seeing the sun rise above the horizon. This region is also one of the driest on Earth — part of Antarctica's vast polar desert.

Despite its harsh environment, Concordia is an ideal site for a wide range of scientific research, including glaciology, atmospheric science, astronomy and space medicine.

On Feb. 17 2026, the Concordia team witnessed something likely seen nowhere else on Earth — an annular solar eclipse.

Annular solar eclipses, often called "ring-of-fire" eclipses, occur when the moon passes in front of the sun at a point in its orbit where it appears slightly smaller in the sky. Instead of completely blocking the sun, the moon leaves a bright ring of sunlight visible around its edges.

Unlike total solar eclipses, which reveal the sun's faint outer atmosphere, annular eclipses are still a form of partial eclipse and require proper eye protection to view safely.

The path of annularity, where the ring-of-fire effect is visible, crossed Antarctica during the Feb. 17 event. It passed over just two inhabited locations: Concordia Research Station and Mirny Station, a Russian base.

But clouds obscured the view over Mirny.

That left a small group at Concordia as the only people on Earth to witness this eclipse in its full annular form. I spoke to one of them, Andrea Traverso, about the experience.

Traverso arrived at Concordia in November 2025 and will remain there until November 2026. He oversees scientific experiments and monitoring systems across the station, including studies of geomagnetism, seismology and meteorology, as well as investigations into how the upper atmosphere interacts with solar wind.

This marks his third "winterover" at the base, following previous stays in 2019 and 2020.

When I asked where he observed the eclipse from, Traverso described the station's layout — two cylindrical towers with windows facing multiple directions.

During the event, he positioned himself at "a window in perfect alignment with the eclipse," which offered "many possibilities from a photographic point of view".

Sheltered from the extreme cold, he simply opened the window to avoid reflections from the glass and began taking photos.

The result was remarkable.

Traverso captured a striking image of the ring-of-fire eclipse that was later shared widely by the European Space Agency.

But it wasn't until after the event that the full significance of the event came clear.

Traverso contacted other Antarctic stations to ask about their weather conditions. Many, including Mirny, had been clouded out.

No one else had seen it.

It was the he said, that he "became aware of the uniqueness of my observation."

In a Facebook post translated from Italian, Traverso wrote:

"Yesterday night's eclipse, photographed by me, visible in this form exclusively from the Italian-French base Concordia in Antarctica. My wonderful white lady also gave me this spectacle that only me and my 11 companions could enjoy live."

Surprisingly, the team had not prepared in advance for the event.

"I wasn't aware in advance about the eclipse and the possibility of observing it from Concordia," Traverso said.

Capturing an annular eclipse requires solar filters — similar to eclipse glasses — to safely reduce the sun's brightness. But none had been specifically set aside for the event.

Instead, Traverso improvised.

He found some sheets of mylar film stored at the base, which had previously been used for solar observations a long time ago and used cardboard and glue to build a makeshift filter for his camera lens.

"The solution proved to be effective," Traverso said.

Given that his image remains the only known photograph of the eclipse from Earth, it's hard to argue otherwise.

Where will you be for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026?

If you're within the roughly 190-mile (305 kilometers) wide path of totality through eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, you'll catch a rare total solar eclipse, when the sun's disk is completely blocked, and an eerie twilight descends.

It's an eclipse that demands careful research. While it's high in the sky from Greenland and Iceland, across Spain, the sun will set roughly 20 to 50 minutes after totality, depending on your location... That means it's low in the western sky; about 12 degrees above the horizon as seen from Galicia in northwest Spain and as low as 2 degrees as seen from the Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Mallorca, Minorca and Formentera) in the Mediterranean.

Although you can research your own observation point, those in Spain will need to check shadow maps on The Eclipse App or Eclipse Horizon Checker. If you're not confident to do that, consider an organized event — particularly one overseen by astronomers — where eclipse chasers can also share the experience with locals and other eclipse chasers.

Here are 10 fun observing events and festivals to experience the total solar eclipse with others in August.

1. Monte Valonsadero, Spain

The medieval town of Soria, in north-central Spain, has big plans for the eclipse, including a gathering at Monte Valonsadero. A natural park close to the town boasting light-pollution-free skies and Starlight Foundation certification, Valonsadero will host thousands of people, with plans underway for music, food, drinks and a free shuttle service from the city center.

2. Eclipse Festival 2026, Spain

Many thousands will miss this eclipse because sightlines to the low sun haven't been checked, which is a good reason to head to Parc Astronòmic Muntanyes de Prades (PAP) in Catalonia, Spain, as an astronomical park that's home to Eclipse Festival 2026 — Prades. Expect music, workshops, lectures, observations, shows, telescopes and a planetarium during the Aug. 10-13 event. As a bonus, the park offers Starlight Foundation-certified stargazing under one of southern Europe's darkest skies — ideal for the peak of the Perseids hours after totality.

3. Blue Lagoon Total Eclipse 2026

As if the lava fields of Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula weren't already an other-worldly location to experience totality, the famous Blue Lagoon will host a special event for the eclipse. At the geothermal spa set in a lava field, a US $750 ticket gets you into its blue, mineral-rich waters for totality, complete with a shuttle bus from Reykjavík, a two-course meal, two drinks, a bathrobe and towel and eclipse glasses for the partial phases.

4. EclipseFest 2026, Spain

In a cruel twist of fate, both Barcelona and Madrid are just outside the path of totality. However, the latter makes a great base for entering the path to the north. Just a 40-minute drive north is Aldea Santillana, an estate on the banks of the Atazar Reservoir usually used for weddings and events. On Aug. 12, it will host EclipseFest 2026, complete with activities, a welcome pack with glasses and guided eclipse viewing. Tickets cost €147 (adults) and €117 (children), and there are options to stay at the hotel. It's organized by the astrotourism company El Nocturnario.

5. Ibiza PlayAbout Radio Fest, Ibiza

It's perhaps not a surprise that an island globally renowned for partying and super-clubs is planning one or two gatherings for the eclipse, though some venues have limited views of the low western horizon. Being staged from Aug. 10-14 by an internet radio station dedicated to house and techno, Ibiza PlayAbout Radio Fest, the action takes place across various venues on the White Isle. The key event is The Eclipse Boat Party, soundtracked by house music DJ Dario Nunez. Other events are best avoided; Jet Ibiza's Jet Apartments are on the east coast, so pool party-goers will struggle to see anything of the eclipsed sun.

6. Umbra Festival, Spain

If you're up for a 40-hour electronic music gathering, head to the Umbra Festival in northwest Spain from 4:00 p.m. CEST on Aug. 11, through 10:00 a.m. CEST on Aug. 13. Taking place at Agolada Lake (Pantano de Brocos) — actually a reservoir — expect a blend of house and minimal music. It's about an hour's drive from the tourist center of Santiago de Compostela in a quiet, agricultural region of rolling hills, river valleys and dark skies in the interior of Galicia. The only drawback is the limited duration of totality. Tickets are €62.15.

7. Iberia Eclipse, Spain

Expect 5,000-10,000 people for five days of music, art and ceremony from Aug. 10-14 at Iberia Eclipse Festival 2026. Taking place near Vinuesa, just northwest of Soria, close to the Douro River, the festival will include tent camping and pre-setup tents, four stages spread across the hillside and forest, workshops, wild swimming and art. Expect trance and techno day and night — but a pause for totality. Tickets start at €240.

8. Astral Plane, Spain

Held in La Pinilla ski resort in Spain's Sierra Ayllón, Astral Plane is just an hour's drive north of Madrid. Totality is expected to occur during a headline set by Detroit techno artist Kevin Saunderson, who'll be halfway through a four-hour set. There are plans for similar events for the total solar eclipses in 2027 (also in Spain) and 2028 (Australia and New Zealand). Tickets cost from €175.

9. Sizigia Eclipse Gathering

Here's another major event being planned in a location that will enjoy totality — but only just. Close to the northern limit of the path of totality, just 40 seconds of totality will grace Sizigia Eclipse, a five-day "underground music" festival taking place from Aug. 10-14 beside a reservoir. Importantly, organizers promise a collective viewing from an elevated, open site with clear western horizon views. Tickets cost €262.50 tickets, with optional extras including a tipi camp and a shuttle bus from Barcelona and Zaragoza.

10. Iceland Eclipse Festival

Iceland Eclipse Festival in Hellissandur on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is almost as close to the eclipse's maximum point as it's possible to get on land. Running from Aug. 12-15, the event will include live music, presentations and panels across two stages. Burning Man, SXSW and TED inspire it.

During an October solar eclipse in 2022, a team of scientists traveled to the Dolomites, a forested mountain range in Italy, to study spruce trees.

While the rest of the world was worried about buying solar eclipse glasses, timing telescopes to perfectly capture spectacular views of our sun and preparing for something profound, these researchers decided to spend time in the damp, woody and quiet air.

Fourteen hours before the eclipse began, the researchers recorded a heightened, synchronized electrical response from the spruces. And, after some analysis, the crew attributed the signals to the trees "anticipating" the upcoming eclipse in their own way. The team also concluded that older trees detected the eclipse first and communicated with younger trees via those electrical responses.

The team, led by Alessandro Chiolerio of Italian Institute of Technology, which included Monica Gagliano of Southern Cross University in Australia, then published a paper last year in the journal Royal Society Open Science detailing how they built custom sensors to measure electrical activity produced by the spruce trees and explaining what they found out about spruce tree communication.

However, a new opinion paper led by Ariel Novoplansky, a researcher and professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, that was published Feb. 6 in the journal Trends in Plant Science, may have cut short the celebrations. Novoplansky and co-author Hezi Yizhaq call the original research into question, saying the team's conclusion doesn't necessarily come from the procedures they carried out.

In short, did Chiolerio and team really reveal that spruce trees can talk to one another before a solar eclipse — or is something else at play?

Well, Novoplansky's team concluded that no, the evidence Chiolerio and his team gathered does not suggest the trees anticipated the solar eclipse or communicated this or any other information to other trees.

Space.com covered the original research last year, and in light of the opinion piece, spoke with Novoplansky, Chiolerio and Gagliano to learn more about the debate.

We'll start with Chiolerio's perspective.

The Dolomites research

Back in 2022, in that mountainous study location, Chiolerio built custom sensors to measure the trees' "electrome," which refers to the total electrical activity within a living system. After attaching these "CyberTree" sensors to the spruce, the research team began to measure and record the trees' bioelectric signals.

"We saw that there was, in a certain moment, a synchronization of these waveforms," Chiolerio told Space.com. He likens the moment to an orchestra of instruments, suggesting "sometimes those instruments are playing perfectly in sync."

Indeed, he says on the day of the eclipse, the waveforms exhibited a behavior that was distinct when compared to the measurements on other days. "So, we ascribed the reason to the observation of the eclipse," he said.

The team gathered a number of environmental measurements during their research, including temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall and solar radiation, but they could not measure everything, such as cosmic rays and magnetic fields.

"We could not measure the environmental electrical fields that, for example, are associated with lightning," Chiolerio says. And Chiolerio also explained that, because the team didn’t measure everything, there could technically be a number of explanations for the synchronization waveforms emitted from the spruce trees.

Despite conceding that there could be other causes, Chiolerio stands by the work he and his team conducted in the Dolomites.

A new perspective

Novoplansky studies plant behavior. After he read Chiolerio's research paper, he says he disagreed with the findings and how the research was conducted, which led him to write the opinion piece.

"You should care about the education of people on the street and the awareness of the scientific community," Novoplansky says. "This is why I bothered and took the time to write this."

Novoplansky explains that there was a storm and lightning strikes that took place nearby and during the same time Chiolerio and his team recorded the tree's heightened activity. While Novoplansky does not definitively attribute the change in the trees' electrical activity to the storm and lightning, he says that this is a much more likely cause for the change in activity.

"This is much more parsimonious, which means it's easier to explain like that [compared to] the elaborate explanations that they give," Novoplansky says.

The older trees showed greater electrical activity compared to the younger trees, which Novoplansky says could also be explained by the lightning theory. This is because, he explains, older trees make "a bigger antenna to perceive this electrical activity."

Novoplansky also questions the trees' ability to anticipate a solar eclipse due to the minimal impact of the sunlight through a forest. "There is no real stress, nothing to get prepared for," Novoplansky said.

The eclipse was also partial, reducing sunlight levels by an average of 10.5% for only a couple of hours. Novoplansky likens this change in sunlight to that of clouds passing before the sun, which is the rule rather than the exception for these trees. Because the change in solar activity was minor, he believes the eclipse was "not sufficient enough for the trees to discern such a situation."

Furthermore, Novoplansky cites the unique trajectories of solar eclipses. While plants can "remember" past experiences, he says it doesn't make sense for the trees to remember a past solar eclipse, because it occurred at a separate location.

Reacting to criticism

Novoplansky goes as far as to call the original research "pseudoscience," but Chiolerio and Gagliano disagree. Chiolerio points out that the research was grounded in measurement.

"I wanted to be totally transparent, so that anybody in the world could replicate what we did," Chiolerio said. "You can find there the schematics of the circuits we developed, and also of the architecture of the system, including the firmware. Everything is there."

Gagliano, who also studies plant behavior, views the opinion piece as a mixed critique. "It is fair in emphasizing what our field dataset cannot establish on its own," she says. "Most importantly, it does not uniquely identify a causal mechanism, and synchrony in an observational dataset is not, by itself, proof of interplant communication. Those are standard limits of field observations, which we acknowledged."

But Gagliano wants people to understand the separation between observation and hypothesis. "What we reported is an empirical observation: a structured electrical-signal pattern and increased synchrony occurred in the eclipse window," she says. "The opinion piece proposes weather/lightning as a plausible alternative hypothesis, which should be tested explicitly."

Chiolerio acknowledges that lightning could be the explanation for the shift in the electric activity. But without testing this theory in the field, there's no way to know for sure.

"I would like people to come to me and say, 'Let's do an experiment together,’ Chiolerio continued. Conducting a similar experiment during a total eclipse could possibly yield different results. "This year in Spain," he says, "there will be a total eclipse, so we could do that."

A blazing 'ring of fire' appeared in the frozen skies above Antarctica during the annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026. This spectacle was witnessed by only a handful of people on Earth.

What is it?

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun while it is positioned a bit farther away because of its slightly elliptical orbit around Earth. As a result, it does not completely cover the sun's disk as it would during a total solar eclipse. Instead, a thin ring of sunlight remains visible around the moon's silhouette, a glowing 'ring of fire'.

This particular eclipse was visible to very few people. The narrow path of annularity crossed only a small slice of Antarctica, placing the crew at the Concordia Research Station among the fortunate few able to witness the full effect from the icy plateau.

Peak annularity occurred at 7:47 p.m. local time (6:47 a.m. EST / 1247 GMT) and lasted just two minutes, though the border eclipse — including the partial phases — spanned roughly two hours.

Why is it amazing?

Concordia sits over 680 miles (1,100 kilometers) inland at an altitude of nearly 10,500 feet (3,200 meters), one of the most isolated research stations on the planet. In the summer, the sun barely dips below the horizon and in the winter, it disappears entirely for months as temperatures plunge to -112 degrees Fahrenheit (-80 degrees Celsius).

While spacecraft like Proba-2 got a glimpse of the eclipse from orbit, this ground-based view from Antarctica is among the rarest perspectives of all. A unique view, for the very few, at the bottom of the world.

In just one week, a spectacular display of orbital mechanics will be visible to billions of people across the Americas, Asia, and Oceania, as Earth's shadow sweeps across the lunar disk, triggering the onset of an awe-inspiring 'blood moon' total lunar eclipse.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the moon and the sun during a full moon phase, plunging the moon into Earth's shadow. The next such event will take place on March. 3 with the rising of the full "Worm Moon", named for the time when the ground softens, allowing earthworms and beetle larvae to emerge.

You can learn more about the total lunar eclipse on March 3 with our blood moon lunar eclipse 2026 guide and keep up to date with the latest lunar eclipse content with our lunar eclipse live blog.

This phenomenon — commonly known as the blood moon — happens because Earth's atmosphere is particularly good at scattering the shorter blue wavelengths of light while allowing longer red wavelengths to pass through relatively unhindered. This effect, known as Rayleigh scattering, is the same reason that the sky takes on magnificent shades of red and orange around sunset.

Totality will last for 58 minutes and will be visible to more than 3 billion people across parts of the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania, weather permitting.

The eclipse will kick off at 3:33 a.m. EST (0833 GMT) on March. 3 for viewers in the U.S., as Earth's outer shadow, or penumbra, encroaches on the lunar surface, almost too subtle to be noticed with the naked eye. At 4:50 a.m. EST (0950 GMT), the more defined curve of Earth's umbral silhouette will begin to creep steadily across the face of the moon before fully engulfing it at 6:04 a.m. EST (11:04 GMT), marking the beginning of totality.

Skywatchers in New York will witness the very beginning of the blood moon phase in the half hour before the lunar disk slips below the horizon opposite the glow of the rising sun on March. 3. Those on the West Coast in states including California, Oregon and Washington D.C. will get to witness the entirety of the eclipse, with the orbital show starting in the early hours and running through to dawn. Exact eclipse timings will vary based on your location, so be sure to check out Time and Date for a schedule tailored to your locale.

Want the best possible view of the lunar disk as it transforms into a jaw-dropping blood moon? Then be sure to read our roundup of the best telescopes and binoculars for viewing the night sky. If photography's your thing, then you may also want to read our guide to photographing a lunar eclipse, along with our picks of the top cameras and lenses for astrophotography.

Editor's Note: If you capture a photo of the blood moon and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

On Aug. 2, 1153, Jerusalem — one of the oldest cities in the world — experienced a total solar eclipse for the last time until Aug. 6, 2241, according to the book Totality by the late Fred Espenak, NASA's eclipse calculator extraordinaire. That's a gap of 1,108 years. Meanwhile, people living in a quadrant covering about 32,400 square miles (52,200 square kilometers) in Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky experienced totality twice in just 6 years, 7 months, and 18 days.

Why are generation after generation of people in Jerusalem so unlucky, while those in Perryville, Cape Girardeau, Paducah, Carbondale, Makanda, Harrisburg and Metropolis are overfamiliar with totality from their backyards? Why do some locations on Earth never see a total solar eclipse within multiple human lifetimes, while others have a path of totality — typically about 100 miles wide — cross their home regularly?

Why are eclipses "unfairly" distributed around the world? The answers come in the form of numbers, but also in orbital cycles operating over more than mere millennia.

How often do total solar eclipses occur?

The frequency of total solar eclipses is difficult to pin down because the intervals between them occurring at any one place are highly irregular. The reference work is a 1982 paper by Belgian astronomer Jean Meeus, a legend of mathematical astronomy. Using an HP-85 personal computer — one of the first available — Meeus calculated paths of totality over the next 600 years to arrive at an answer. The received wisdom was that a total solar eclipse occurs at a given place on Earth once every 360 years, on average, but that figure traced back to a 1926 astronomy textbook that offered no supporting calculation. Meeus' calculations refined the figure to an average of 375 years. This number has been the standard ever since, but given advances in computing, recent efforts have sought to refine it by crunching more data in different ways.

NASA's 5,000-year heat map

In March 2024, just before the second "Great American Eclipse" in seven years, Ernie Wright at NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio published a heat map of paths of totality across Earth. It contains the paths of 3,742 total solar eclipses across the 5,000 years between 2,000 B.C. and 3,000 C.E. It was created using the Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses, a list of eclipses calculated by Jean Meeus and the late Fred Espenak, published in 2006. "It's evident from the heatmap that a total solar eclipse can happen absolutely anywhere on Earth," wrote Wright. "In fact, there isn't a single pixel in the map that isn't visited by at least one eclipse — not a single goose egg in any of the 14.6 million points sampled by the map." Every pixel on Wright's map experiences between one and 35 total solar eclipses in the 5,000-year period.

Time and Date's 14,999-year study

A paper submitted to arXiv in February and accepted for publication in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association later this year — is the most comprehensive attempt, covering 35,538 solar eclipses across 14,999 years, a computing job that used 662,000 gigabyte-hours of memory and 147,000 core hours over 102 days of continuous calculations. It found that a new, refined figure — 373 years. "Meeus' number is so widely quoted, and we thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if you let a modern computer loose on the same problem," lead author Graham Jones, an astrophysicist and science communicator at Time and Date, told Space.com. However, as well as refining Meeus's work, this research uncovered deeper patterns in where and when total solar eclipses occur, tied to Earth's orbital mechanics.

The 'latitude effect'

Both recent papers reveal patterns of where and when total solar eclipses occur that were previously only suspected. A striking finding from Time and Date's paper is a "latitude effect," whereby the frequency of solar eclipses of any type peaks around the Arctic and Antarctic Circles and is lowest near the equator. The reason is simple — near the polar circles, the sun's path skims along the horizon during certain times of the year, increasing the window during which an eclipse can occur.

Wright's research for NASA found that more total eclipses happen in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere, mostly because of Earth's slightly elliptical orbit around the sun. They're also more frequent in summer because the sun is up longer then. "Summer in the northern hemisphere happens when the Earth is near aphelion, its farthest distance from the sun for the year, and this makes the sun a bit smaller in the sky, giving the moon a better chance of covering it completely," writes Wright. However, the dates of aphelion and perihelion (when Earth is its closest to the sun for the year) drift over the centuries. "There's a 21,000‑year cycle where the dates of aphelion and perihelion drift through the calendar, so about 4,500 years from now, aphelion and perihelion coincide with the equinoxes, and at that stage, neither hemisphere has this advantage in terms of getting the sun closer or further away during the summer months," says Jones. In about 9,500 years, this alignment will reverse, shifting the advantage to the Southern Hemisphere.

Nevertheless, although eclipses follow predictable cycles at a global level, the actual interval between total solar eclipses in any one place remains highly irregular when compared to the average.

What about 'ring of fire' annular solar eclipses?

The frequency of annular solar eclipses — when a new moon that's farthest from Earth blocks only the center of the sun's disk to cause an annulus (ring) eclipse — was also covered by Meeus and Time and Date. The research reveals that an annular solar eclipse occurs at a given place on Earth once every 224 years (Meeus) or 226 years, on average, respectively. Why are they more frequent than total solar eclipses? "There are more annular eclipses because if you just take the average size of the sun and the moon across all the eclipses, then generally the sun is more often just a bit bigger than the moon," says Jones.

That's a trend that's only going to increase. Total solar eclipses occur because the moon and the sun can have the same apparent size in Earth's sky — the sun is about 400 times wider than the moon, but the moon is about 400 times closer. However, the moon is slowly moving away from Earth by 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) per year, which has devastating consequences for eclipse chasers. "If you look at really long time scales, as the moon slowly moves away, total eclipses eventually come to a halt altogether." The good news? That won't happen for about 600 million years.

On Feb. 17, 2026, the moon slipped directly between Earth and the sun, creating a spectacular 'ring of fire' visible to very few people on Earth, but ESA's Proba-2 had had the best seat in the house.

From its vantage point in orbit, the satellite was able to witness the annular solar eclipse in striking detail  —   not once, but four times during its orbit, including a perfect 'ring of fire' at 6:31 a.m. EST (1131 GMT) when the moon occulted just over 93% of the sun's disk.

The stunning image was captured with Proba-2's SWAP instrument, which views the sun in extreme ultraviolet light, revealing details of the sun's corona — the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere.

What is it?

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun while positioned farther from Earth during its slightly elliptical orbit. Because the moon appears a bit smaller in the sky at that distance, it doesn't completely cover the sun's disk (like we see during a total solar eclipse). Instead, a bright ring of sunlight encircles the moon's silhouette, often called a 'ring of fire'.

While Proba-2 had an unobstructed view from space, on Earth the full annular phase was only visible from remote locations in Antarctica, limiting the spectacle to just a small number of researchers stationed at remote scientific outposts … and a lot of penguins. Observers in the southern tip of Chile and Argentina, along with parts of southern Africa, witnessed a partial solar eclipse instead.

Why is it amazing?

Unlike observers on Earth, Proba-2 wasn't limited to a single view. Thanks to its fast sun-synchronous orbit, the spacecraft crossed the eclipse zone four times and was able to witness the event from several perspectives.

Satellites have captured incredible views of the Feb. 17 annular solar eclipse as the moon's shadow swept across a remote region of Antarctica, while at the same time a U.S. weather satellite captured the silhouette of Earth's satellite as it traversed across the face of the sun.

An annular solar eclipse takes place when the moon — at a distant point in its elliptical orbit — passes between the sun and Earth, blocking the vast majority of its surface while leaving a thin sliver of its outer disk visible to appear as a burning halo in the sky.

Sadly, the only humans on hand to see the full glory of the Feb. 17 "ring of fire" eclipse were those who were crewing isolated research stations in a 383-mile-wide (616 kilometer) swathe of Antarctica.

Thankfully for us in warmer locations, a number of satellites were able to witness the enormity of the event from orbit, including spacecraft from the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat), which captured imagery of the moon's shadow (above) as it swept over the frozen continent.

The moon's immense shadow was also spied by South Korea's GEO-KOMPSAT-2A weather satellite from its perch 22,370 miles (36,000 km) above Earth in geostationary orbit, close to the shadowy line of the night-day terminator.

NOAA's GOES-19 satellite captured a different perspective as it stared directly into the sun using its Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) instrument from high above Earth. Bright looping structures can be seen playing throughout the sun's atmosphere in the ultraviolet realm of the electromagnetic spectrum as plasma is shaped by our star's strong magnetic field while the moon's silhouette roams left-to-right across the solar disk.

Solar eclipses don't occur in isolation, but rather as the opening — or sometimes closing — act of a two-part eclipse "season". The second half of this current orbital ballet will occur on March 3, when our planet slips between the sun and moon, bathing the latter with sunlight that has been filtered and scattered by Earth's atmosphere to give rise to a dramatic "blood moon" total lunar eclipse.

Totality will be visible to approximately 2.5 billion people spread throughout Australia, New Zealand, East Asia, parts of the Pacific and North America, the latter of which will get to see the moon slip into the deepest part of Earth's shadow as it slips below the horizon at sunrise.

Then, on Aug. 12, stargazers in Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, Spain and Russia will be treated to a dramatic total solar eclipse — where the moon briefly hides the entirety of the solar surface in the path of totality — while hundreds of millions elsewhere will witness a lesser partial eclipse.

Hoping to see the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse for yourself? Then be sure to read our top tips and travel advice for planning an eclipse trip along with our picks of the best solar viewing gear and guidance on how to check and safely use eclipse glasses.

Editor's Note: If you would like to share your eclipse photography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

A magnificent annular solar eclipse just swept over Antarctica, putting on an impressive display of orbital mechanics as the moon passed in front of the sun at the perfect distance from Earth to create a fiery halo in a darkened sky  —  at least for the few souls lucky enough to be in a position to see it.

Feb. 17's annular solar eclipse occurred as the lunar disk slipped between the sun and Earth during its new moon phase. The alignment occurred as the moon travelled through a distant point in its elliptical orbit, making it appear smaller than usual in Earth's sky.

Today's eclipse got underway at 4:56 a.m. EST (0956 GMT), as the moon took an ever greater bite out of the solar disk, transforming its burning orb into a glowing crescent, before finally diving entirely within its fiery expanse. The moon — appearing fractionally smaller than usual — was unable to cover the entirety of the sun's disk, leaving a thin sliver of its outer edge visible to surround Earth's natural satellite to create a ring in the skies over Antarctica.

This phase — known as annularity — lasted a little over two minutes and was visible across a remote, 383-mile-wide (616 kilometer) corridor of the Antarctic continent containing the Concordia research station, which hosts less than a hundred scientists and visitors at any one time.

A lesser partial eclipse was estimated to have been visible to roughly 176 million people — or 2% of the world's population — spread across the southern tip of South America and southern African nations including Madagascar, according to Time and Date. The eclipse came to a global end at 9:27 a.m. EST (1427 GMT), when the moon's silhouette exited the solar disk, returning it to its former glory.

The next eclipse will be a spectacular "blood moon" total lunar eclipse, which will unfold early on March. 3, as our planet glides between the sun and its natural satellite, bathing its shadowed disk in the light of every sunrise and sunset on Earth. Over 2.5 billion people will be treated to a front-row seat to totality, including skywatchers in North America, who will witness the blood moon slip below the horizon as the sun rises.

You won't need any eye protection to gaze upon the moon but it's an absolute necessity if you're hoping to view the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12! Be sure to check out our guide to checking the safety of eclipse glasses, along with our top 10 tips for planning your 2026 solar eclipse trip.

Editor's Note: If you would like to share your eclipse photography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Editor's note: The annular solar eclipse is over. Read our wrap story to learn what happened today during the 'ring of fire' eclipse!

Today (Feb. 17), an annular solar eclipse will commence its journey across a remote region of Antarctica where it will be visible to more penguins than people. The partial solar eclipse portion of the event will be visible to observers in parts of southern Africa and the southern tip of South America.

You can keep up with the latest eclipse news with our annular solar eclipse live blog, which will be updated throughout the event.

The annular phase of the eclipse, whereby the largest proportion of the sun is covered, occurs at 7:12 a.m. EST (1212 GMT).

During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and Earth, casting a lunar shadow upon our planet. The moon's orbit around Earth is slightly elliptical; sometimes it's farther from Earth, sometimes it's closer. During an annular solar eclipse, the moon is relatively far from Earth and does not fully cover the sun's disk as we see during a total solar eclipse. Instead, it produces a distinct ring of light in the sky, the "ring of fire".

When can we next see a solar eclipse?

The next solar eclipse visible to more people than penguins will be a total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026.

The total solar eclipse will be visible in Greenland, western Iceland, and northern Spain, bringing a maximum of 2 minutes and 18 seconds of totality, the day before the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower.

If you're looking for some inspiration for planning an eclipse 2026 trip, check out our roundup of the best cruises for the total solar eclipse 2026 and the 16 best places to view the total solar eclipse 2026.

Editor's note: The Feb. 17 annular solar eclipse has come and gone, conjuring a "ring of fire" over Antarctica that was visible to a few humans and a great many penguins. Check out our article on these spectacular satellite views of the moon's shadow darkening the frozen content from space, along with imagery of the lunar disk transiting across the face of our parent star!

An annular solar eclipse will turn the sun into a dramatic "ring of fire" on Feb. 17, as the moon passes between Earth and the sun, leaving a thin outer ring of sunlight visible. This striking effect will last up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds at the greatest eclipse.

The eclipse will progress as follows, according to Time and Date:

• Partial eclipse begins — 4:56 a.m. EST (0956 GMT)
• Maximum "ring of fire" annularity — 7:12 a.m. EST (1212 GMT)
• Partial eclipse ends — 9:27 a.m. EST (1427 GMT)

Only a very small region of Antarctica lies in the path of annularity, a roughly 2,661-mile-long and 383-mile-wide (4,282 by 616 kilometers) corridor where the moon will cover about 96% of the sun's disk. Viewers elsewhere in Antarctica and across parts of southern Africa and southernmost South America will see a partial solar eclipse rather than a full "ring of fire".

What is an annular solar eclipse?

An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between Earth and the sun, but is too far from Earth to completely cover the sun's disk. The smaller-looking moon leaves a bright outer ring of the sun visible — often called a "ring of fire" — at maximum eclipse.

REMEMBER to NEVER look directly at the sun. To view this solar eclipse safely, you must use solar filters at all times. Whether your location will experience a partial solar eclipse or an annular solar eclipse, the dangers are the same. Observers will need to wear solar eclipse glasses, and cameras, telescopes and binoculars must have solar filters placed in front of their lenses at all times.

Our how to observe the sun safely guide tells you everything you need to know about safe solar observations. Keep up with the latest solar eclipse news with our solar eclipse live blog.

When can I next see a solar eclipse?

After Feb. 17, the next solar eclipse will be a total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026. This total eclipse will be visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain, with a partial eclipse seen across broader regions of Europe and Africa.

If you can't wait that long, there's another major event coming up in just a few weeks. On March 3, 2026, a total lunar eclipse will turn the moon blood red for skywatchers across North America, Australia, New Zealand, East Asia and the Pacific.

A breathtaking annular solar eclipse is set to sweep across Antarctica on Feb. 17. Here's what to expect from each phase of the "ring of fire" eclipse as it plays out above one of the most remote regions on Earth.

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun's disk during the new moon phase while at a distant point from Earth in its elliptical orbit. Around this time, the lunar disk appears slightly smaller than the sun in Earth's sky. As a result, a sliver of the sun can be seen surrounding the moon during annularity — the equivalent to totality during a total solar eclipse.

The only humans likely to see this ring of fire in person will be those crewing isolated Antarctic research stations such as Concordia, which will witness the event low on the southwestern horizon from the interior of the frigid continent. As with each eclipse, the exact timing for each phase is dependent on your location. Precise timings for any given location can be found on Time and Date's eclipse tracker.

Partial eclipse

The moon will take its first bite out of the sun — a moment known to eclipse chasers as "first contact" — at 4:56 a.m. EST (0956 GMT) on Feb. 17. This will mark the global start time of the eclipse as the lunar disk begins to roll from left to right onto the sun's surface, blocking its light.

Over the following hours, the moon's silhouette will delve ever deeper into the sun's disk, transforming the fiery orb into a glowing crescent, which will grow razor-thin in the moments approaching annularity as it hangs low over the ice-dominated landscape.

Annularity begins

The moon's silhouette will pass entirely within the sun's disk at the beginning of the path of annularity at 6:42 a.m. EST (1142 GMT), after which this phase of quasitotality will sweep across Antarctica, marking the beginning of annularity.

This climactic phase, the start of which is known as "second contact," will last a shade over two minutes at Concordia Station, which is one of just two research facilities that sit in the path of annularity. During this time, the vast majority of the solar disk will be occulted, leaving only its outermost rim visible as a golden ring shining in a darkened sky.

Point of maximum eclipse

The point of maximum eclipse will occur at 6:47 a.m. EST (1147 GMT) on Feb. 17 at Concordia, according to Time and Date, when the moon will be positioned at the heart of the sun from the viewer's perspective, while haloed by the outer rim of our parent star's disk.

Remember, staring at the sun with the naked eye can lead to immediate and permanent damage to your vision. To view an eclipse safely, you'll need to pick up a pair of eclipse glasses, dedicated solar binoculars or a telescope filter sold from a trusted brand. Be sure to read our guide detailing how to check eclipse glasses and use them properly to ensure a safe viewing experience.

Partial eclipse

The period of annularity ends when the moon's silhouette makes contact with the outer edge of the solar disk — "third contact" — breaking the golden ring and heralding the start of another partial eclipse phase. The following hour will see the moon retreat from the solar disk, which will transition from a crescent to its usual glorious orb. "Fourth contact" occurs as the last sliver of the moon leaves the sun altogether.

Eclipses always occur in pairs, with a lunar eclipse following a solar eclipse, or vice versa. February's annular solar eclipse will be followed by a dramatic "Blood Moon" total lunar eclipse on March 3, when Earth passes directly between the full moon and sun, bathing the natural satellite in its shadow. Totality for the lunar eclipse will be visible to over a billion people spread across swathes of North America, East Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

Editor's Note: If you capture an image of the Feb. 17 eclipse and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Editor's Note: This article was corrected on Feb. 13 to reflect the correct timings for annularity as viewed from Concordia station.

The first solar eclipse of 2026 will be a dramatic annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17. The downside for most of us is that the stunning 'ring of fire' will be witnessed by more penguins than people.

Stretching 2,661 miles (4,282 kilometers) long and 383 miles (616 km) wide, the path of annularity — where the 'ring of fire' will be visible — cuts across western Antarctica and skims the Davis Sea coast of the Southern Ocean.

Many more people will, however, be able to witness the partial phase of the solar eclipse. This stage will be visible across Antarctica, southeastern Africa, the southern tip of South America, and over parts of the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic and Southern oceans.

Path of annularity

The eclipse will rise over mainland Antarctica and set off the Davis Sea coast of the Southern Ocean.

Where to see the partial solar eclipse

A far greater number of people will be able to witness the partial stage of the annular solar eclipse during which the moon appears to take a 'bite' out of the sun.

Remember that it's unsafe to look directly at the sun during the partial phases of a solar eclipse. At all times, you must wear solar eclipse glasses. Read our guide on how to observe the sun safely.

Next eclipse

Just two weeks after the annular solar eclipse, Earth will experience a total lunar eclipse on March 3-4, when Earth's shadow will turn our lunar neighbor blood red.

The blood moon will be visible for about 58 minutes across western North America, Australia, New Zealand and East Asia.

Unlike the few people who will witness the annular solar eclipse, nearly 31% of the world's population — around 2.5 billion people — will be able to see the eclipse in totality, when the moon turns blood red.

After the Feb. 17 'ring of fire', the next annular solar eclipse will occur on Feb. 6, 2027, and will be visible from locations in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.

We're just one week away from the first solar eclipse of 2026! Here's what you need to know before a dramatic "ring of fire" annular eclipse darkens the sky over Antarctica on Feb. 17, likely confusing millions of penguins.

The eerie dimming is possible thanks to an extraordinary bit of celestial geometry. Earth's moon is 400 times smaller than the sun, which happens to be, on average, 400 times farther from our planet than its natural satellite — a wondrous cosmic coincidence that causes both celestial objects to appear the same size in our sky.

This allows us to see breathtaking solar eclipses when the lunar disk passes directly in front of the sun during its new moon phase, blocking its light. Some eclipses occur when the moon is further from Earth in its elliptical orbit, setting the stage for a spectacular annular solar eclipse. During these events, the smaller lunar disk passes in front of the sun, occulting most of its surface, while leaving a sliver of its outer rim on show.

When is the next solar eclipse?

Feb. 17 will see a spectacular annular solar eclipse unfold over a swathe of Antarctica, as the moon glides between the sun and Earth, occulting the vast majority of our parent star while leaving its outer rim visible to form a burning halo in the southern sky.

The period of maximum eclipse — an event known as annularity — is set to begin at 7:12 a.m. EST (1212 GMT) and will last for 1 minute and 52 seconds, after which the moon's silhouette will slide inexorably off the solar disk.

Sadly, the full ring of fire will only be witnessed by the few human beings inhabiting research stations in the path of annularity, along with the millions of penguins who call the frozen continent home. Skywatchers in the southern extreme of South America, southeastern Africa and in parts of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean will also bear witness to a lesser— yet still breathtaking — partial solar eclipse, during which the lunar disk will be seen to take a "bite" out of the sun.

Remember, it's never safe to stare at the sun with the naked eye, even for a second, as doing so risks immediate and permanent damage to your eyes. To observe the sun safely, you'll need a pair of eclipse glasses designed to block out the lion's share of the harmful ultraviolet and infrared solar radiation, or — for a closer look — a pair of dedicated solar binoculars, like the Lunt SUNoculars and Celestron Eclipsmart. And with the upcoming total solar eclipse coming on Aug. 12, it's never too early to get all your solar viewing equipment ready!

Editor's Note: If you capture a photo of the Feb. 17 solar eclipse and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

The first solar eclipse of the year was an annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026.

During an annular solar eclipse, the moon covers a majority of the sun, leaving a distinct ring of light, hence the nickname 'ring of fire' eclipse.

Safety tips

Countdown begins: Feb. 17’s annular solar eclipse is just over a week away

We're just over a week away from the first solar eclipse of 2026! An annular solar eclipse will take place on Feb. 17, 2026. During this dramatic event, the moon will slide in front of the sun but won't cover it completely, leaving a glowing 'ring of fire' around the edges. That dramatic view will only be visible from a remote part of Antarctica, where up to 96% of the sun will be eclipsed for a little over 2 minutes — meaning very few people on Earth will witness annularity in person.

More people will see a partial solar eclipse, with the moon covering a smaller portion of the sun across Antarctica, parts of southern Africa and the southern tip of South America.

To find out more, check out our annular solar eclipse 2026 guide.

One week to go! We're ready, are you?

We're just one week away from the first solar eclipse of 2026! Here's what you need to know before a dramatic "ring of fire" annular eclipse darkens the sky over Antarctica on Feb. 17, likely confusing millions of penguins.

Read more: 1 week until an annular solar eclipse turns the sun into a 'ring of fire' over Antarctica

Where will the annular solar eclipse be visible from?

The first solar eclipse of 2026 will be a dramatic annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17. The downside for most of us is that the stunning 'ring of fire' will be witnessed by more penguins than people.

Stretching 2,661 miles (4,282 kilometers) long and 383 miles (616 km) wide, the path of annularity — where the 'ring of fire' will be visible — cuts across western Antarctica and skims the Davis Sea coast of the Southern Ocean.

Read more: Where will the annular solar eclipse be visible on Feb. 17?

What happens during the annular solar eclipse?

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun's disk during the new moon phase while at a distant point from Earth in its elliptical orbit. Around this time, the lunar disk appears slightly smaller than the sun in Earth's sky. As a result, a sliver of the sun can be seen surrounding the moon during annularity — the equivalent to totality during a total solar eclipse.

Read more: Here's what will happen during each phase of the Feb. 17 'ring of fire' annular solar eclipse

Why do solar and lunar eclipses come in pairs?

Eclipses often feel like sudden, one-off spectacles, appearing out of nowhere after months of familiar moon phases. In reality, they arrive in predictable pairs during brief periods called eclipse seasons. The next one runs from Feb. 17 to March 3, 2026, bringing both a solar and a lunar eclipse. Here we explore why.

Read more: Why solar and lunar eclipses come in pairs — and what an eclipse season really is

Want to know more about the annular solar eclipse?

On Feb. 17, 2026, a dramatic annular solar eclipse will trace a narrow path across Antarctica, briefly turning the sun into a burning "ring of fire" as the moon passes almost completely in front of it. While only a handful of humans will see the full effect, much of Antarctica, along with parts of southern Africa and South America, will experience a partial solar eclipse, as the lunar disk occults a smaller section of the solar orb.

Read more: Annular solar eclipse 2026: Everything you need to know about the 'ring of fire'

Annular solar eclipse T-2 days

On Feb. 17, an annular solar eclipse will transform the sun into a breathtaking "ring of fire." To mark this precise celestial alignment — and the orbital choreography behind it — here are three fascinating facts about solar eclipses you might not know.

1 - Not all "ring of fire" eclipse look the same

The thickness of the glowing ring depends on how far the moon is from Earth. During this annular solar eclipse, the moon will be near its farthest point, making the ring appear especially bright and narrow.

2 - Eclipses only happen during short seasonal windows

Even though we get a new moon every month, eclipses are only possible during eclipse seasons, which occur roughly twice a year when the moon's orbit lines up with the sun and Earth.

3 - Solar eclipses are slowly changing over time

The moon is drifting away from Earth at about 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) per year. Far in the future, total solar eclipses will disappear, leaving only annular and partial solar eclipses behind.

What time is the annular solar eclipse?

An annular solar eclipse will turn the sun into a dramatic "ring of fire" on Feb. 17, as the moon passes between Earth and the sun, leaving a thin outer ring of sunlight visible. This striking "ring of fire" effect will last up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds on the path of annularity.

Read more: What time is the annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17?

Today is the day!

Today (Feb. 17), an annular solar eclipse will commence its journey across a remote region of Antarctica, where it will be visible to more penguins than people. The partial solar eclipse portion of the event will be visible to observers in parts of southern Africa and the southern tip of South America.

We'll be keeping you all up to date with everything annular solar eclipse throughout the day, so stay tuned!

Read more: Annular solar eclipse turns the sun into a dramatic 'ring of fire' today! Here's what you need to know

Eclipse begins: Partial phase starts

The annular solar eclipse has begun! The moon has started to move in front of the sun, marking the start of the partial phase over Antarctica and parts of the Southern Hemisphere.

If you're outside these regions, you won't see the eclipse directly — this event is playing out over some of the most remote parts of Earth. As such, we'll be using imagery from previous eclipses to show what's happening in the skies over Antarctica.

Read more: Where will the annular solar eclipse be visible?

Eclipse deepens

The moon is covering more of the sun as the partial eclipse deepens across Antarctica and the surrounding southern oceans.

The most dramatic stage of this eclipse is still to come — but it will only be visible from Antarctica.

What would the eclipse look like from the south pole?

Earth's south pole sits outside of the path of annularity for the Feb. 17 eclipse, so a person sitting there watching it unfold wouldn't get to see the dramatic "ring of fire" visible to those in Concordia research station, for example, at the height of the event.

Instead, you would witness a partial eclipse culminating at 6:24 a.m. EST (1124 GMT), when the moon's silhouette occults the upper section of the solar disk, leaving a smiling crescent to shine out from beneath Earth's natural satellite.

Annularity begins (Antarctica)

Annularity has begun. From remote regions of Antarctica, the moon now appears slightly smaller than the sun, creating a thin "ring of fire" around its edges.

This phase is not visible from anywhere else on Earth.

Maximum eclipse

This is the peak of the annular solar eclipse. The alignment between the sun and moon is at its closest, producing the most complete "ring of fire" during this event over Antarctica.

Outside the path of annularity, the eclipse remains partial or not visible.

A live view of the partial eclipse

You can stream a live view of the eclipse from outside the corridor of annularity courtesy of the South African National Space Agency (SASNA)'s YouTube channel. From South Africa, the moon's silhouette will appear to take a "bite" out of our parent star as it skims left-to-right across the upper edge of the solar disk.

Annularity ends

The annular phase is now over. The moon has begun to move away from its central alignment with the sun and the ring of fire wanes over Antarctica.

Elsewhere, the eclipse continues only as a partial event.

Partial solar eclipse winds down

The moon continues to slide away from the sun, which appears as an ever thickening crescent as the partial eclipse gradually ends across Antarctica and parts of the Southern Hemisphere.

Eclipse ends

The moon has now fully cleared the sun's disk, bringing the remote annular solar eclipse to a close — likely with no-one on hand to witness its final act. Why not check out our wrap article below for a recap of events and to discover what lies ahead!

Read more: A 'ring of fire' just appeared in the sky over Antarctica. Here's what happened during today's annular solar eclipse.

An epic eclipse seen from space

Thanks for joining us as we tracked this remote annular eclipse across Antarctica! While views from the ground were (understandably) scarce, we did get stunning orbital imagery of the moon's colossal shadow as it swept over the frozen continent from space!

Be sure to stick with us for all the latest news, viewing tips and more for the upcoming "blood moon" total lunar eclipse on March 3, phases of which will be visible from Australia, New Zealand, East Asia, parts of the Pacific and North America. That'll be followed by a total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, which will sweep through Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, Spain and Russia, while treating a wider swathe of the northern hemisphere to a lesser partial eclipse!

Read more: See the moon's shadow darken Antarctica in epic satellite imagery of the Feb. 17 solar eclipse (video)

On Monday, Nov. 25, 2030, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the Southern Hemisphere. Although it will occur almost entirely over the Indian Ocean, totality will nevertheless happen just after sunrise in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho, before being glimpsed close to sunset from southeast Australia.

From remote areas of Queensland, Australia, it will be possible to witness a dramatic sunset eclipse if skies are clear. With spectacular stargazing and safari opportunities available, the 2030 total solar eclipse is bound to be popular and, for eclipse chasers in North America and Europe, rather expensive.

Related: What's the difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse?

What's special about the Nov. 25, 2030 total solar eclipse?

The Nov. 25, 2030, total solar eclipse presents the opportunity to combine the stunning celestial event with a safari and stargazing. In Namibia, the path of totality is conveniently placed between the giant dunes of Sossusvlei and Deadvlei and the spectacular Etosha National Park.

If you're looking for something extremely remote (and likely more expensive), the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Botswana would make an excellent option.

There are two important marine mammal colonies in the path of totality. Cape Cross Seal Reserve, the world's largest breeding colony of Cape fur seals, on Namibia's Skeleton Coast, will get 1 minute, 22 seconds of totality, and Point Labatt Conservation Park (which features the Aus­tralian sea lion, one of Aus­trali­a's most endan­gered marine mam­mals), in South Australia, will get 1 minute, 57 seconds of totality.

Path of totality for the Nov. 25, 2030 total solar eclipse

The path of totality for the Nov. 25, 2030, total solar eclipse will span 9,033 miles (14,538 kilometers). The eclipse will begin at sunrise in the Atlantic Ocean; pass over Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho; cross the Indian Ocean; and finish as a low eclipse from southeastern South Australia and northwestern New South Wales, Australia. Those in the path of southeast Queensland will see a sunset eclipse, with the small rural town of Surat seeing the eclipsed sun just 2 degrees above the western horizon.

The maximum duration of totality will be 3 minutes, 44 seconds. However, not many observers will experience that because the eclipse takes place north of the remote Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. The maximum totality on land will be 2 minutes, 32 seconds, from just north of Durban, South Africa. From Australia, the eclipse will be on the wane by the time it hits Streaky Bay in South Australia, just south of Ceduna (the epicenter of a total solar eclipse in 2002). In total, about 10.6 million people live in the path of totality, according to Time and Date.

The path of totality passes just north of the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS), a cosmic-ray-hunting telescope in Namibia's Khomas highlands. The same fate befalls the HAKOS Astro Guest Farm, a remote mountainous escape for amateur astronomers. Both get a 99.9% partial solar eclipse. However, that's not the case for Tivoli Southern Sky Guest Farm, southeast of Windhoek, which will see totality for 1 minute, 53 seconds.

Where and when can I see the Nov. 25, 2030 total solar eclipse?

Here are some of the places eclipse chasers will gather for the total solar eclipse on Nov. 25, 2030:

What will the weather be like for the Nov. 25, 2030 eclipse?

There's a saying among eclipse chasers: "Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get." Although you can maximize your chances of finding a clear sky if you're mobile, some regions have higher chances than others.

Inland Namibia is a good bet, with even the capital, Windhoek, having a cloudy day on Nov. 25 only 23% of the time since 2000, according to Timeanddate.com. Between Windhoek and the Skeleton Coast, there's a very low risk of clouds, but that changes dramatically on the coast itself.

Botswana has a very low chance of clouds. In the North West region of South Africa, there's around a 33% chance of a cloudy day. As you approach Durban, however, those odds rise to an alarming 67%. In Australia, Streaky Bay on the southern coast has a 48% chance of clouds, but the odds are about 33% for the rest of the track.

Where to see the partial solar eclipse on Nov. 25, 2030

A partial solar eclipse will be visible from central and southern Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australia and New Zealand. Here's what will be seen from major cities and destinations in the partial eclipse zone:

After Nov. 25, 2030, when is the next total solar eclipse?

After the total solar eclipse on Nov. 25, 2030, these are the dates and locations for the next total solar eclipses:

• Nov. 14, 2031: Pacific Ocean (hybrid-totality) and Panama (hybrid-annularity)
• March 30, 2033: Russia and the U.S. (Alaska)
• March 20, 2034: Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and China
• Sept. 2, 2035: China, North Korea and Japan
• July 13, 2037: Australia
• Dec. 26, 2038: Australia and New Zealand
• Dec. 15, 2039: Antarctica

Additional resources

You can find a concise summary of solar eclipses out to 2030 on NASA's eclipse website. Read more about solar and lunar eclipses on EclipseWise.com, a website dedicated to predictions of eclipses, and find beautiful maps on eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler's EclipseAtlas.com, as well as interactive Google Maps on Xavier Jubier's eclipse website and Timeanddate.com's Eclipse Central hub. You can see climate and weather predictions by meteorologist Jay Anderson on Eclipsophile.com and get photography advice from expert eclipse photographer Alan Dyer at AmazingSky.com.

Bibliography

Bakich, M. and Zeiler, M. (2022). Atlas Of Solar Eclipses 2020-2045.

https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/books/atlas-of-solar-eclipses-2020-to-2045

Jubier, X. (n.d.). Solar eclipses: Interactive Google Maps. Retrieved Jun. 24, 2025, from http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipsesGoogleMaps.html

NASA Worldview application, part of the NASA Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Retrieved Jun. 24, 2025 from https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov

Time and Date. (n.d.). Nov. 25, 2030 Total Solar Eclipse. Retrieved Jun. 24, 2025, from https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2030-november-25

Heads up, skywatchers! There's just one month to go until the annular solar eclipse of 2026.

At 4:56 a.m. EST (0956 GMT) on Feb. 17, the moon will begin to turn the sun into an impressive "ring of fire" during an annular solar eclipse. Maximum eclipse, whereby the largest proportion of the sun is covered, will occur at 7:12 a.m. EST (1212 GMT)

The striking phenomenon will be visible only to those watching from within the path of annularity, a 2,661-mile-long and 383-mile-wide (4,282 by 616 kilometers) route where the moon will cover about 96% of the sun's disk. Few will witness this eclipse, as the annular stage will only be visible from a remote region of Antarctica.

Viewers across the rest of Antarctica, along with parts of southern Africa and the southernmost regions of South America, will be treated to a partial solar eclipse. The rest of us will be able to follow the event online: official livestream details have not yet been released, but we'll share them as soon as they become available. You can also track the event as it happens via our solar eclipse live blog.

Solar eclipses happen at new moon, when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun, casting its shadow onto our planet. In a total solar eclipse, the moon is close enough to Earth that it appears the same size as — or slightly larger than — the sun, allowing it to fully cover the sun's disk and briefly turn day into night.

An annular eclipse, by contrast, occurs when the moon is farther from Earth in its slightly elliptical orbit and looks a little smaller than the sun. Instead of blocking the sun completely, it leaves a bright ring of sunlight encircling the moon — the striking "ring of fire" effect.

Where and when can I see the Feb. 17, 2026 annular solar eclipse?

Here are the very limited places the ring of fire may be seen during the annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026:

Location: Concordia Research Station (French-Italian)

Annularity duration: 2 minutes, 1 second

Time: 11:46 GMT

Sun height: 5 degrees above 241 degrees azimuth

Location: Mirny Station, Queen Mary Land, Antarctica (Russia)

Annularity duration: 1 minute, 52 seconds

Time: 12:07 GMT

Sun height: 10 degrees above west 264 degrees azimuth

2025 saw a lull in solar eclipse excitement. Sure, there was a dramatic sunrise solar eclipse in the northeast U.S. and Canada back in March, and another in New Zealand in September. But the year lacked the kind of eclipse everyone should see at least once in their lives: a total solar eclipse.

That drought is about to end. From 2026 to 2028, Earth will experience a double eclipse cascade — three total solar eclipses (August 2026, August 2027 and July 2028) and three annular solar eclipses (February 2026, February 2027 and January 2028) — a repetition of a pattern last seen from 2008 to 2010.

For eclipse chasers who want to experience one of nature's greatest events — and for anyone who missed the 2024 total solar eclipse in North America — the coming years offer multiple chances for immersion and redemption in the shadow of the moon. One thing's for sure: 2026 marks the start of a brief golden age of opportunities for solar eclipse chasers.

Three total solar eclipses in two years

The excitement begins with a total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026. It will be the first total eclipse visible from Europe since 2015 and the first from mainland Europe since 1999.

The path of totality for the August 2026 solar eclipse will begin in remote Siberia, cross eastern Greenland and western Iceland, and then sweep across northern Spain, before exiting just east of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean. Observers in Greenland's Scoresby Sund, Iceland's Reykjanes and Snæfellsnes peninsulas, and the Spanish cities of Leon, Burgos and Valladolid will be within the path and see the sun's ghostly corona. While totality will last just over two minutes at its maximum, the low position of the eclipsed sun — particularly in Spain — will offer some dramatic photographic opportunities.

Then comes the really big one.

On Aug. 2, 2027, a total solar eclipse lasting up to 6 minutes, 22 seconds will see the moon's shadow move slowly across southern Spain, North Africa and the Middle East. Totality will be visible from historic and cultural landmarks, including the temple- and monument-strewn Luxor, Egypt, offering a near-guaranteed view of the sun's corona in clear skies (although dust storms are possible). No wonder it's being dubbed the "eclipse of the century."

Less than a year later, on July 22, 2028, another total solar eclipse will cut across the Australian Outback and New Zealand. For the first time since 1857, totality will grace Sydney, Australia's largest city, while remote parts of Western Australia will enjoy over five minutes of totality, with clear skies likely.

A rare opportunity

Most people consider themselves lucky to see just one total solar eclipse in their lifetime. But from August 2026 to July 2028, dedicated eclipse chasers can experience three shows across three continents.

The trio also offers a range of travel styles, such as chasing eclipses from Arctic and Mediterranean cruise ships in 2026, photographing the eclipsed sun above ancient temples in 2027, and combining stargazing and Outback road trips in 2028. All three eclipses occur during the Northern Hemisphere summer, a time when many can travel more easily.

Although it's rare, this sequence of three total solar eclipses within a two-year period is not unique. In fact, a trio of total solar eclipses begins every 18 years, 11 days and eight hours — the length of one Saros, the cycle of the sun and moon that determines when and where solar eclipses occur. After one Saros cycle, the Earth-moon-sun geometry is almost the same, so a similar eclipse happens again.

From 2026 to 2028, three separate Saros cycles — each producing a total solar eclipse — are in resonance. Looking back in time, there are similar trios, from 1990 to 1992 and from 2008 to 2010, although most of these eclipses took place in remote regions and were difficult to access or troubled by clouds. A trio will occur again from 2044 to 2046, and two are in North America.

Although it may not be unprecedented, the eclipse trio we're about to encounter is the most travel-friendly and geographically spectacular in decades. This is generational.

Best places to see the 2026, 2027 and 2028 total solar eclipses

Planning ahead is crucial for witnessing the three total solar eclipses, each of which has a unique character.

• Aug. 12, 2026 total solar eclipse: Choose a cruise near Greenland, urban comforts in Reykjavik, a trip to rural Spain, or a sunset eclipse over the sea from Majorca.
• Aug. 2, 2027 total solar eclipse: From southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt, expect clear skies and a very long totality. However, head to Luxor, Egypt (home of the longest totality of the remaining 21st century), for the ultimate bragging rights.
• July 22, 2028 total solar eclipse: Sydney will be busy, but head to the Kimberley region of Western Australia or north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory for the best clear-sky experience.

Beyond the "big three"

This golden age isn't limited to total solar eclipses. The timeline also includes a trio of annular — or "ring of fire" — solar eclipses in three consecutive years, within just 708 days. Annular eclipses may not be as interesting as total solar eclipses, but they are special.

There's a quiet start on Feb. 17, 2026, with an annular solar eclipse visible only from a remote region of Antarctica. But after that, there's a classic Atlantic-to-Africa track in 2027 and, in 2028, a travel editor's dream when the Galápagos Islands and Spain see a ring of fire. For Spain in 2028, it will be the third major solar eclipse in just 532 days — a gift like no other for European eclipse chasers.

Upcoming annular solar eclipse:

• Feb. 17, 2026 annular solar eclipse: This event is for extreme adventurers only, though Antarctic cruises may offer views of a partial solar eclipse.
• Feb. 6, 2027 annular solar eclipse: This annular eclipse will be visible from parts of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria (sunset). Choose between a high eclipse over Patagonia's likely clear skies and a risky sunset view from West Africa.
• Jan. 26, 2028 annular solar eclipse: The path of annularity crosses the Galápagos Islands, mainland Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname, French Guiana, Morocco, Portugal and Spain (sunset), presenting an amazing opportunity for a Galápagos cruise or a trip to southern Portugal or Spain.

A team of international researchers say they've uncovered new data on the world's first recorded solar eclipse using a surprising source — ancient Chinese texts. These findings could help us understand more about the progression of the Earth's rotation through the centuries.

The eclipse in question took place on July 17, 709 BCE, according to a chronicle titled "Spring and Autumn Annals." The caveat here is that this record was compiled around two or three centuries after the eclipse happened. The chronicle comes from the court of Lu Duchy, a vassal state that existed during the Zhou dynasty.

"What makes this record special isn't just its age, but also a later addendum in the 'Hanshu' (Book of Han) based on a quote written seven centuries after the eclipse. It describes the eclipsed sun as 'completely yellow above and below," lead author Hisashi Hayakawa, a researcher from Nagoya University in central Japan, said in a statement.

According to Hawakawa, this description has been historically associated with a solar corona — the outermost layer of the sun, which peaks out around the edges of the moon as the moon passes between the Earth and sun during an eclipse. "If this is truly the case, it represents one of the earliest surviving written descriptions of the solar corona," he said.

The team tried verifying the record of the eclipse by modeling the Earth's rotation speed during this time. But they figured out that the eclipse wouldn't be visible from Qufu, the capital city of Lu Duchy, where the chronicle was compiled.

So, they looked at historical geography and archaeological excavation reports. They found out that previous studies used coordinates that were about 4.79 miles (8 kilometers) away from the ancient capital.

"This correction allowed us to accurately measure the Earth's rotation during the total eclipse, calculate the orientation of the Sun's rotation axis, and simulate the corona's appearance," Hayakawa said.

This newly improved dataset, the researchers say, fixes errors in previous studies that looked at the Earth's rotation. "Additionally, it improves the accuracy of dating and reconstructing historical astronomical events," coauthor Mitsuru Sôma, a researcher from Japan's National Astronomical Observatory, said in a statement.

The one reason why this centuries-old record of an eclipse exists is due to an ancient belief that celestial events carry omens that were related to events of the time. "They believed strange sky phenomena indicated political wrongdoing by emperors, which motivated careful tracking of eclipses, auroras, and other astronomical events," the release states.

The authors say that their work supports solar cycle studies from dating radiocarbon in tree rings that give scientists data on the levels of cosmic rays from this time period.

"Some of our ancestors were very skilled observers," coauthor Dr. Meng Jin, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, said in a statement. "When we combine their careful records with modern computational methods and historical evidence, we can potentially find new information about our planet and our star from thousands of years ago."

The paper was published Dec. 2 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

As the April 2024 solar eclipse crossed North America, humans weren't the only ones affected by the dimming of the midday sun. A new study revealed that at least 29 bird species showed changes in their vocalizations before, during and after the eclipse. Some even burst into a "false dawn chorus" as full sunlight returned.

In the lead-up to the eclipse, educators at Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington, Indiana — which was located in the eclipse's path of totality — brainstormed ways to get the public involved with eclipse-related science. They conceived of a mission to study how changes in light affect wild birds.

The team developed a free smartphone app called SolarBird to crowdsource observations all over North America. "Scientists can't be in a thousand places at once," IU Ph.D. student Liz Aguilar, who led the study, said in a statement. "The app gets around this problem by leveraging the public as scientists. It also encourages people to look around and listen, adding to the show in the sky."

Users were asked to observe a bird in their location for 30 seconds before, during and after totality, checking boxes that indicated the birds' behaviors (for instance, singing or flying). The results? More than 1,700 users contributed nearly 11,000 observations.

The team also deployed automated recorders around Bloomington to monitor bird vocalizations. Using the artificial neural network BirdNET, which powers the popular bird-identification app Merlin, researchers analyzed almost 100,000 vocalizations.

Ultimately, the team discovered that 29 of 52 of species of birds demonstrated vocal changes during the eclipse, though each species did not respond in the same way. For instance, of the 12 species that responded to totality, some fell silent while others sang more than usual.

The team noted that the strongest change in vocalization behavior occurred after totality, as the sun returned to its normal strength: 19 species engaged in a false dawn chorus, mimicking the usual birdsong they sing at sunrise.

"It's crazy that you can turn off the sun, even briefly, and birds' physiology is so tuned to those changes that they act like it’s morning," said IU professor Kimberly Rosvall, who advises Aguilar. "This has important implications on the impact of urbanization or artificial light at night, which are much more widespread."

The research was published in the journal Science on Oct. 9.

On July 22, 2028, the moon's shadow will cut a 143-mile-wide (230 kilometer) path across Australia and New Zealand. According to NASA, it will mark the first total solar eclipse visible from Sydney since 1857 and the last until 2858, making it a once-in-a-lifetime event for the city's 5 million residents.

Sydney's Opera House and Harbour Bridge will form a spectacular backdrop and grab the headlines before and after the event. However, eclipse chasers will likely head far to the northwest to the remote Kimberley region and the Australian Outback, where probable cloud-free winter skies promise over five minutes of totality. Meanwhile, New Zealand's South Island will catch the final act of the eclipse close to sunset.

Related: What's the difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse?

What's special about the July 22, 2028, total solar eclipse?

This eclipse will feature a long totality over some iconic locations, including Sydney Harbour, as well as the Bungle Bungles and Karlu Karlu (Devil's Marbles) in the Australian Outback. Sydney will attract the media attention and crowds, but the remote regions will have the highest chance of clear skies. Add Cocos Islands and Christmas Island, and there's something for every kind of eclipse chaser, whether they're looking to experience it with others or in lonelier surroundings.

For those bound for the Outback, there's also the promise of dark skies and views of the Milky Way's core. There, Kununurra, Western Australia, and Alice Springs, Northern Territory, will be the logical bases. Get there a week before the eclipse if you want to make the best of dark skies, although the Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks a week after the eclipse.

Path of totality for the total solar eclipse 2028

The eclipse path for the July 22, 2028, total solar eclipse spans 7,442 miles (11,976 km). The eclipse will begin at sunrise in the Indian Ocean; pass over the Cocos and Christmas islands; sweep across Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales; and then finally cross the Tasman Sea to New Zealand.

The eclipse will last 2 hours, 49 minutes from first landfall to final contact, with a maximum totality of 5 minutes, 10 seconds occurring near the Drysdale River in Western Australia. About 6.3 million people live in the path of totality, according to Time and Date, with the vast majority residing in Sydney and its suburbs.

Where and when can I see the July 22, 2028 total solar eclipse?

What will the weather be like for the total solar eclipse?

There's a saying among eclipse chasers: "The climate is what you expect; the weather is what you get." While you can maximize your chances of finding a clear sky if you're mobile, you can also choose to visit the Outback, where clouds are less likely. According to Time and Date, Kununurra has had a cloudy day on July 22 about 11% of the time since 2000, compared with 10% for the Bungle Bungles and 23% for Karlu Karlu. Expect the one-lane roads in the Outback to be VERY busy.

The riskiest regions for clouds are, as usual, near the coast, with the highest chance of clouds being on Cocos Island (65%), Christmas Island (57%) and, annoyingly, Sydney (47%). This eclipse takes place in the Southern Hemisphere's winter.

Where to see the partial solar eclipse on July 22, 2028

A partial solar eclipse will be visible across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia on July 22, 2028.

After July 22, 2028, when is the next total solar eclipse?

After the total solar eclipse on July 22, 2028, these are the dates and locations for the next total solar eclipses:

• Nov. 25, 2030: Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho and Australia
• Nov. 14, 2031: Pacific Ocean (totality) and Panama (annularity)
• March 30, 2033: Russia and the U.S. (Alaska)
• March 20, 2034: Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and China
• Sept. 2, 2035: China, North Korea and Japan
• July 13, 2037: Australia
• Dec. 26, 2038: Australia and New Zealand

Additional resources

You can find a concise summary of solar eclipses out to 2030 on NASA's eclipse website. Read more about solar and lunar eclipses on EclipseWise.com, a website dedicated to predictions of eclipses, and find beautiful maps on eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler's EclipseAtlas.com and interactive Google Maps on Xavier Jubier's eclipse website and Timeanddate.com's Eclipse Central hub. You can find climate and weather predictions by meteorologist Jay Anderson on Eclipsophile.com and advice on photography from expert eclipse photographer Alan Dyer at AmazingSky.com.

Bibliography

Bakich, M. and Zeiler, M. (2022). Atlas Of Solar Eclipses 2020-2045.

https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/books/atlas-of-solar-eclipses-2020-to-2045

Jubier, X. (n.d.). Solar eclipses: Interactive Google Maps. Retrieved Jun. 24, 2025, from http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipsesGoogleMaps.html

NASA Worldview application, part of the NASA Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Retrieved Jun. 24, 2025 from https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov

Time and Date. (n.d.). July 22, 2028 Total Solar Eclipse. Retrieved Jun. 24, 2025, from https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2028-july-22

On Sept. 21, while skywatchers on Earth were eagerly watching a partial solar eclipse unfold, NOAA's space weather sentinel GOES-19 was also keeping watch from orbit.

From its vantage point high above Earth, the satellite's Compact Coronagraph-1 (CCOR-1) recorded something unusual: a natural solar eclipse from space.

CCOR-1 is designed to create its own "artificial eclipses." Like all coronagraphs, it uses an occulting disk to block direct sunlight so scientists can study the sun's faint outer atmosphere, known as the corona. But this time, the moon itself scootched between the instrument and the sun, allowing CCOR-1 to briefly witness a true solar eclipse in space.

Eagle-eyed observers among you might have noticed the resulting imagery looked rather strange. Instead of just the solar disk vanishing, the entire corona disappeared. That wasn't a cosmic anomaly; it was a consequence of image processing.

"Normally, each image seen by CCOR-1's detector is a combination of the corona and bright sunlight scattered within the telescope," Bill Thompson of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center told Spaceweather.com. "A model of the scattered light is subtracted to reveal the corona. During the eclipse, the scattered light went away, but the subtraction proceeded as if it hadn't. It ended up subtracting too much."

Because CCOR-1 orbits Earth, the moon can occasionally slip between the instrument and the sun. That isn't possible for coronagraphs stationed farther away in space, such as SOHO at the L1 Lagrange point, because the moon would never pass through their field of view. To our knowledge, this may be the first time a space-based coronagraph has ever recorded a natural eclipse.

The moon crosses CCOR-1's field of view roughly once a month, usually in a straight line. But this time, its path appeared to zig-zag. That odd trajectory wasn't caused by the moon but was rather likely the result of a scheduled yaw-flip maneuver that took place on Sept. 22 to help calibrate the spacecraft. The maneuver is designed to alter GOES-19's attitude, its orientation in space, and could have made the moon's otherwise straight path appear crooked in the coronagraph's processed imagery.

Although the flip occurred the day after the eclipse, it's possible that preparations for the maneuver the day before altered GOES-19's attitude, its orientation in space, and made the moon's otherwise straight path appear crooked in the coronagraph's processed imagery.

A striking view of the partial solar eclipse that happened on September 21 was caught not just by photographers on Earth, but also by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) GOES-19 satellite orbiting high above.

The images, highlighted in a post on X, show how satellites continue to give irreplaceable perspectives on familiar wonders.

What is it?

The GOES-19 satellite (also known as GOES-EAST) is part of NOAA's GOES-R series of environmental monitoring satellites. It was launched in June 2024 by SpaceX aboard a Falcon Heavy and became fully operational in April 2025 when it replaced GOES-16.

The satellite works in tandem with GOES-18 to scan half of the globe, continuously monitoring weather, environmental hazards, oceanic conditions and notably solar and space weather phenomena.

Where is it?

The GOES-19 is around 22,236 miles (35,880 km) above Earth's equator in a fixed position relative to Earth's surface.

Why is it amazing?

While monitoring for space weather, the GOES-19 satellite captured this image of the partial solar eclipse that happened mid-September 2025. To capture this image, the satellite used the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) which is designed to observe the sun's hot outer atmosphere, the corona. It captures full-disk solar images in multiple EUV wavelengths, which helps with detections of solar flares and other solar activity, but also captures unique phenomena like a solar eclipse.

Want to learn more?

You can read more about solar eclipses and other weather satellites.

On Feb. 17, 2026, an annular solar eclipse will be visible from a remote part of Antarctica, forming a "ring of fire" for up to 2 minutes, 20 seconds as 96% of the sun's center is eclipsed by the moon.

Few will witness that moment, but observers in the rest of Antarctica — including those on cruise ships on late-season tours — will see a partial solar eclipse, as will people in parts of southern Africa and the southern tip of South America.

What's special about the Feb. 17, 2026 annular solar eclipse?

The eclipse path for the Feb. 17, 2026, annular solar eclipse will be limited to a remote region of Antarctica, so the event will be seen by almost no humans. If you can manage to witness this event, bragging rights will be well deserved. Practically speaking, though, that will be difficult unless you happen to be working at some select research stations in Antarctica.

"It's possible that only a few people will view this eclipse from within the annular zone," eclipse meteorologist Jay Anderson wrote on his website, Eclipsophile.com. "It's a challenge to reach and there are only two inhabited locations within the annular shadow, neither of which is set up to welcome tourists."

Related: What's the difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse?

However, mid-February is toward the end of the cruising season in Antarctica, and a well-timed cruise to locations in the Antarctic Peninsula could give you a glimpse of a partial solar eclipse. A partial solar eclipse will also be visible from southeastern Africa.

Perhaps the best place to be on Feb. 17, 2026, will be Concordia, a joint French-Italian research station that opened in 2005 and houses just 16 scientists. It's one of only three stations in the interior of the Antarctic continent. It can get as cold as minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 80 degrees Celsius) outside; it's one of the coldest locations on Earth. There, one of the tallest towers in Antarctica measures atmospheric data and helps calibrate Earth observation satellites. There's also an underground vault, two observation platforms, telescopes and an airstrip.

If Concordia is the first inhabited place to see the ring of fire, Mirny Station will be the second and final. Mirny was the first Russian station in Antarctica, established in 1956 in Queen Mary Land on the Davis Sea coast. Its few dozen inhabitants study climate, sea ice, cosmic rays, meteorology, glaciology and biodiversity.

Path of annularity for the Feb. 17, 2026 annular solar eclipse

The path of annularity for the Feb. 17, 2026, annular solar eclipse — where the "ring of fire" will be visible — is 2,661 miles (4,282 kilometers) long and 383 miles (616 km) wide.

The eclipse will rise over mainland Antarctica and set off the Davis Sea coast of the Southern Ocean. The moon's antumbral shadow — which creates the ring of fire — will take around 59 minutes to cross Earth, from 11:42 to 12:41 UTC. The ring of fire will be visible only to those in Antarctica or the Southern Ocean.

Where and when can I see the Feb. 17, 2026 annular solar eclipse?

Here are the very limited places the ring of fire may be seen during the annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026:

Location: Concordia Research Station (French-Italian)

Annularity duration: 2 minutes, 1 second

Time: 11:46 UTC

Sun height: 5 degrees above 241 degrees azimuth

Location: Mirny Station; Queen Mary Land, Antarctica (Russia)

Annularity duration: 1 minute, 52 seconds

Time: 12:07 UTC

Sun height: 10 degrees above west 264 degrees azimuth

What will the weather be like for the Feb. 17, 2026 annular solar eclipse?

The prospects for clear skies are not good for this eclipse.

As Anderson wrote on Eclipsophile, cloud cover is likely over the ocean and coasts. Mirny Station has about 65% cloud cover that time of the year. Mainland Antarctica has around 35% — so Concordia will have the highest chance of seeing the ring of fire — but it will be extremely cold.

However, there can be an "eclipse effect" with the cooling of the land by the moon's shadow, which sometimes causes convective clouds to dissipate across the path.

In the wider partial eclipse zone, inland southern Africa is where clear skies are most likely, according to Time and Date, although it will be less than a 15% partial eclipse there.

Where to see the partial solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026

On Feb. 17, 2026, a partial solar eclipse will be visible across Antarctica; southeastern Africa; the southern tip of South America; and in the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic and Southern oceans. Here's what will be seen from research stations in Antarctica and various islands, cities and destinations in the partial eclipse zone:

After Feb. 17, 2026, when is the next annular solar eclipse?

After Feb. 17, 2026, these are the dates and locations for the next annular solar eclipses:

Feb. 6, 2027: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria

Jan. 26, 2028: Galápagos Islands, mainland Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname, French Guiana, Morocco and Spain

June 1, 2030: Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Japan

May 21, 2031: Angola, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka, the Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia

May 9, 2032: Southern Ocean

Sept. 12, 2034: Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Gough Island

March 9, 2035: New Zealand and Reao Atoll (Tuamotos)

Additional resources

You can find a concise summary of all solar eclipses out to 2030 on NASA's eclipse website. Read more about solar and lunar eclipses on EclipseWise.com, a website dedicated to predictions of eclipses, and find beautiful maps on eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler's EclipseAtlas.com and interactive Google Maps on Xavier Jubier's eclipse website. You can find climate and weather predictions by meteorologist Jay Anderson on eclipsophile.com.

A partial solar eclipse swept across the face of the sun on Sept. 21, mesmerizing stargazers with a dramatic display of orbital mechanics that saw the curved silhouette of the lunar disk turn the incandescent orb of our parent star into a fiery crescent over the Pacific Ocean.

The Sept. 21 partial solar eclipse occurred as the moon traveled between Earth and the sun, blocking the disk of our parent star and darkening the sky for over 16 million people in New Zealand, Antarctica and a host of Pacific island nations.

September's solar spectacle was captured in exquisite detail by a host of New Zealand photographers, who turned their lenses on the dawn eclipse to capture the partially occulted moon alongside the swirling clouds of the Pacific, along with some colossal ships.

Scroll down to view a selection of the best images of the September 2025 partial lunar eclipse and, while you're at it, why not read our partial solar eclipse live blog for a blow-by-blow chronological recap of the event as it happened.

The September 2025 solar eclipse in pictures

This magnificent view of the partially occulted sun was caught soon after sunrise by photographer Sanka Vidanagama, who took this image near the city of Christchurch in New Zealand as our star rose above a troublesome bank of early morning clouds. Both the clouds and the ocean below reflect the radiance of our sun, just as the moon took a bit out of its upper left portion not long after first contact.

Vidanagama also took a striking image of the partially eclipsed sun shining between two silhouetted observers, as the encroaching lunar disk began to transform the sun into a radiant crescent.

Our next image is a dramatic scene from Kerry Marshall, capturing the partially eclipsed sun wreathed in wave-like clouds it broke through to loom over a pair of gigantic commercial ships in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

An image of the solar disk seen around the point of the local eclipse maximum in New Zealand, where residents witnessed 60-70% of the sun's disk hidden by the moon's curved silhouette, leaving a glowing upturned crescent shining in the morning sky.

This shot captures the moon as it rolled left to right across the solar disk in the period following the eclipse maximum. New Zealand will witness a total solar eclipse on July 22, 2028, when the path of totality will pass directly over its southern island after passing through central Australia.

Amateur astronomer Paul Stewart posted a phenomenally detailed image of the sun's surface to the X social media platform that he captured from South Canterbury, New Zealand, using a specialized Lunt 80 mm telescope fitted with an astrophotography camera. The shot reveals stunning details in the solar atmosphere along with a plethora of sunspots marking the solar "surface".

The partial eclipse was also spotted from space by NOAA's GOES-19 Earth observation satellite, which caught the moon crossing the lunar disk while observing with its Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI), as highlighted by X user Jure Atanackov.

The moon and sun put on a magnificent show on Sept. 21 when a dramatic partial solar eclipse darkened the sky over a swathe of the Pacific ocean, transforming the disk of our parent star into a radiant crescent.

Each partial solar eclipse takes place during the monthly new moon phase, when the lunar disk passes between Earth and sun, occulting (or hiding) its light while stopping short of perfectly blocking out its surface.

Read on to see pictures of the September 2025 partial solar eclipse captured as the sun rode low over New Zealand's eastern horizon, and be sure to check out our partial solar eclipse live blog for a recap of how the magnificent display of orbital mechanics unfolded on the day.

First views of the September 2025 partial solar eclipse

A deepening eclipse

Our first view was captured from Time and Date's livestream in the hour following sunrise, as the moon's silhouette began to roll left to right over the fiery disk of our parent star. Members of the Dunedin Astronomical Society were able to image the face of the sun as it poked its head from behind a vast cloud bank that had settled over New Zealand's eastern horizon.

The eclipse maximum

This magnificent view of the sun's disk was captured minutes after the local eclipse maximum, when 70% of the solar surface surface was hidden by the curving expanse of the moon in the skies above Dunedin in New Zealand. At this point, the light projected through small holes — such as the holes in a colander — would appear to take on a crescent shape of their own, mimicking the stellar scene above.

The moon passes from the solar disk

This inverted solar portrait was captured during the waning partial phase, as the moon slipped left to right off the sun's disk in the wake of the eclipse maximum. The following hour would see the lunar silhouette pass from the solar disk entirely, returning it to its former brilliance.

The next eclipse to grace Earth's skies will be an annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026, which will be visible from southern Africa, South Africa and Antarctica. Stargazers hoping to get ready for future eclipses should read our guide to buying quality eclipse glasses online and read our explainer detailing how to safely photograph a solar eclipse.

Editor's note: The September 2025 partial solar eclipse put on a magnificent show as the moon swept over the face of our sun, darkening the sky over a swathe of the Pacific Ocean. Check out our wrap article to see the first images from the spectacular orbital ballet, as seen from the city of Dunedin, New Zealand

A partial solar eclipse is happening today (Sept. 21), offering skywatchers a chance to see the moon appear to take a "bite" out of the sun.

The eclipse begins at 1:29 p.m. EDT (1729 GMT), reaching maximum coverage at 3:41 p.m. EDT (1941 GMT). Exact visibility and timing depend on your location.

If you're unable to watch the September partial solar eclipse in person, don't worry, you can watch all the action unfold live here on Space.com, courtesy of Time and Date and keep up with the latest solar eclipse news and progress with our solar eclipse live blog.

What is a partial solar eclipse?

A partial solar eclipse occurs when the new moon passes between Earth and the sun, blocking a portion of the solar disk from view. It can look like the moon has taken a "bite" out of the sun.

When will it happen?

The exact timing of the eclipse depends on your location. Globally, it will begin at 1:29 p.m. EDT (1729 GMT), with the maximum eclipse phase — when the moon covers the largest portion of the sun — occurring at 3:41 p.m. EDT (1941 GMT).

Read more: What time is the partial solar eclipse on Sept. 21?

Where will it happen?

This rare timing means the eclipse occurs on the doorstep of the September equinox, when the sun crosses the celestial equator, marking the start of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and fall in the north.

The "equinox eclipse" will bring up to 86% coverage across New Zealand, Antarctica and parts of the South Pacific.

Read more: Where will the partial solar eclipse be visible on Sept. 21?

How can I watch?

The partial solar eclipse can be viewed in person from locations within the path of the eclipse. Remember: It is NEVER safe to look directly at the sun during a partial solar eclipse without suitable eye protection. Make sure to use solar eclipse glasses or a solar filter for telescopes or binoculars. A pinhole projector is also a great option if you don't have specialized equipment, as you can easily make one with some basic items from around your house.

Our how to view the sun safely guide tells you everything you need to know about safe solar viewing and what to look out for on the surface of the sun!

And if you're unable to catch the solar eclipse in person, you can enjoy all the action from the comfort of your home here on Space.com.

When is the next solar eclipse?

After the Sept. 21 event, the next solar eclipse will be an annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026. The "ring of fire" phase will only be visible from Antarctica, so more penguins than people will enjoy this particular solar spectacle!

Editor's note: If you snap a photo of the solar eclipse and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Editor's note: The September 2025 partial solar eclipse put on a magnificent show as the moon swept over the face of our sun, darkening the sky over a swathe of the Pacific Ocean. Check out our wrap article to see the first images from the spectacular orbital ballet, as seen from the city of Dunedin, New Zealand

A partial solar eclipse will darken Earth's sky on Sept. 21 and you can watch it unfold live online courtesy of a livestream hosted by Time and Date, starting at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT).

During a partial solar eclipse, the moon passes directly between our planet and the sun, covering part of the solar disk while leaving a glowing crescent framed by the curve of Earth's natural satellite. For the Sept. 21 event, maximum eclipse occurs at 3:41 p.m. ET (1941 GMT).

Fewer than 17 million people — just 0.2% of the world's population — will see the solar eclipse first hand from island nations including New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga. The rest of us can follow the solar spectacle from home via the livestream hosted here on Space.com.

How to watch the Sept. 21 partial solar eclipse online

Time and Date is teaming up with the Dunedin Astronomical Society in New Zealand to host a free YouTube livestream of the Sept. 21-22 eclipse. The broadcast will feature real-time views of each phase, paired with expert commentary provided by astrophysicist Graham Jones and journalist Anne Buckle.

Viewers will be treated to a breathtaking sight as the sun rises over New Zealand's eastern horizon with its left side partially eclipsed, along with a striking view of the eclipse maximum, when over 70% of the solar disk will be hidden by the silhouette of Earth's moon. Of course, there's always the risk that clouds could arrive to ruin the show, so fingers crossed for clear skies!

Remember, attempting to view a partial solar eclipse with the naked eye can lead to immediate and permanent loss of vision. Those in the path of the eclipse should read our guide detailing where to buy quality eclipse glasses online and how to ensure that they're in good working order before you even think about turning your eyes on the sun.

Editor's Note: If you capture an image of the eclipse and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Editor's note: The September 2025 partial solar eclipse put on a magnificent show as the moon swept over the face of our sun, darkening the sky over a swathe of the Pacific Ocean. Check out our wrap article to see the first images from the spectacular orbital ballet, as seen from the city of Dunedin, New Zealand

The moon will appear to take a "bite" out of the sun during a deep partial solar eclipse on Sept. 21.

Globally, September's partial solar eclipse will begin at 1:29 p.m. EDT (1729 GMT), with the maximum eclipse phase — when the moon covers the largest portion of the sun — occurring at 3:41 p.m. EDT (1941 GMT). However, exact timings vary by location. A detailed breakdown of eclipse times for different countries can be found in the table below. For a full breakdown, see Time and Date.

Only 16.6 million people, 0.2% of the world's population, live in areas where at least part of the solar eclipse will be visible, according to Time and Date. If you're not one of the lucky few in the path of the partial solar eclipse, you can watch all the action unfold live here on Space.com. You can also keep up with the latest eclipse news and updates with our partial solar eclipse live blog

For each country, the 'start' time marks when the eclipse first becomes visible at the earliest location within that country, while the 'end' time marks when it finishes at the last location still able to see it."

How to watch the eclipse safely

Never use regular sunglasses to observe the sun. The only safe way to look directly at the sun is through specifically designed solar filters, using solar eclipse glasses for direct viewing and solar filters for telescopes and binoculars.

We have rounded up some of the best solar viewing kit deals available for you to make the most of your next sun viewing experience. Check out our how to view the sun safely guide for more advice on what to look out for during your next solar viewing venture.

Editor's Note: If you snap a photo of the solar eclipse and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

On Sept. 21-22, a partial solar eclipse will see the moon sweep over the sun's disk, blocking its light over a swathe of the southern hemisphere! Here's what you can expect as the solar system alignment unfolds.

A partial solar eclipse takes place when the moon's orbit places the natural satellite directly between the Earth and sun during its monthly new moon phase, blocking our view of a portion — but not the totality of — the sun's disk.

The Sept. 21-22 partial solar eclipse will be visible to over 16 million people observing from a number of Pacific islands, along with parts of Australia and Antarctica, according to Time and Date. The rest of the world will be able to follow along via Time and Date's livestream, which will be hosted on Space.com, providing live views and expert commentary on the event as it unfolds

Stage 1: First contact (partial begins)

Stargazers will get their first glimpse of the eclipse shortly after its global start at 1:29 p.m. EDT (1729 GMT) on Sept. 21, when the curved silhouette of Earth's satellite will begin to graze the upper right region of the solar disk for viewers in the island country of Samoa.

Stage 2: Deepening partial

The hours that follow will see the path of the eclipse sweep over a vast region of the Pacific Ocean encompassing New Zealand, Fiji and a host of smaller islands. All the while, the moon's silhouette will sink further into the disk of our parent star, transforming its usually perfect sphere into a radiant crescent.

Stage 3: Maximum eclipse

At 3:41 p.m. EDT (1941 GMT), the eclipse will reach its maximum over a largely uninhabited patch of Pacific Ocean, when most of the sun's disk will be hidden by the moon.. As the eclipse reaches its maximum for your location, points of light shining through small gaps, such as the holes of a colander or spaces between leaves, may appear as tiny crescents, echoing the scene in the sky.

New Zealand and Antarctica will witness some of the most spectacular views of the eclipse in the hour surrounding the maximum, with over 70% of the sun's disk covered by the moon's silhouette, forcing it to take on the appearance of an upturned sickle.

Stage 4: Waning partial

Over the next few hours, the moon will appear to roll from left to right off the solar disk for viewers in New Zealand, while the final glimpse of the eclipse will be visible from an isolated peninsula of the Antarctic at 5:53 p.m. ET (2153 GMT), assuming there are any humans — or penguins — there to see it.

How to view the eclipse

Because the Sept. 21 event is a partial eclipse, it is NEVER safe to observe it with the naked eye — even from locations where most of the sun's disk is covered at maximum.

Be sure to check out our guide to safely viewing the sun, along with our explainer on where to buy quality eclipse glasses and how to check that your gear is in good working order.

Editor's Note: If you capture an image of the partial solar eclipse and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Editor's note: The September 2025 partial solar eclipse put on a magnificent show as the moon swept over the face of our sun, darkening the sky over a swathe of the Pacific Ocean. Check out our wrap article to see the first images from the spectacular orbital ballet, as seen from the city of Dunedin, New Zealand

The last solar eclipse of 2025 happens on Sept. 21, just one day before the equinox. The partial solar eclipse will be visible from New Zealand, Antarctica and the South Pacific.

Although not a total eclipse, this is a deep partial event, with the moon covering up to 86% of the sun! Southern New Zealand and Antarctic research stations will see the best views, whilst some Pacific islands will also get a show.

This rare timing means the eclipse occurs on the doorstep of the September equinox, when the sun crosses the celestial equator, marking the start of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and fall in the north.

Remember: it's never safe to look directly at the sun without certified solar eclipse glasses. Even during the partial phases, proper eye protection is essential. Space.com will also be livestreaming the Sept. 21 eclipse, with details announced closer to the event, and you can follow the latest updates in our partial solar eclipse live blog.

Antarctica

• Marambio Base: 5% eclipse
• Mario Zucchelli Station: 72% eclipse
• McMurdo Station: 69% eclipse
• Ross Ice Shelf: about 65% eclipse

Coverage decreases farther east — the Antarctic Peninsula will see only a 12% eclipse at sunset.

New Zealand

New Zealand offers the most accessible views. The eclipse will already be underway at sunrise, creating dramatic crescent-shaped dawns.

• Auckland: 60% eclipse
• Christchurch: 69%
• Invercargill: 72%
• Wellington: 66% eclipse

South Pacific

Island nations will see smaller eclipses, but still notable:

• Tonga: 32% eclipse
• Fiji: 27% eclipse
• Cook Islands: 23% eclipse
• Samoa: 17% eclipse

The Sept. 21 partial solar eclipse will be the last solar eclipse of 2025, offering dramatic views from New Zealand, Antarctica and across the South Pacific just before the equinox. Whether you're planning to watch in person or online, don't forget to check out our complete guide to photographing a solar eclipse and our recommendations for the best cameras for astrophotography to help you capture the moment safely and in style.

Get ready, sun lovers! We're just one week away from the Sept. 21 partial solar eclipse. The moon will appear to take a "bite" from the sun for observers across the South Pacific, including New Zealand, a sliver of eastern Australia, several Pacific islands and portions of Antarctica.

A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun during a new moon phase, occulting a swathe of its disk while stopping short of blocking it entirely.

Roughly 16.6 million people — or 0.2% of the world population — will see at least some portion of the partial solar eclipse, according to Time and Date.

Viewers will first see the moon take its first bite out of the sun at 1:29 p.m. ET (1729 GMT) on Sept. 21. Observers located in territories including southern New Zealand and Antarctica will see over 70% of the solar disk occulted by its natural satellite as the eclipse reaches its maximum at 3:41 p.m. ET (1941 GMT) later that same day.

The vast majority of the global population, including those in the Americas, won't see this eclipse in person. But you can enjoy the action live online as Space.com will be hosting a livestream of the event, with details to follow closer to the time. You can also keep up with the latest solar eclipse news and progress with our partial solar eclipse live blog.

Prepping for the September partial solar eclipse

NEVER look directly at the sun without proper eye protection. Staring at the sun with the naked eye can lead to immediate and permanent damage to your vision. As such, anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of the September eclipse, or the upcoming Aug. 12, 2026 total solar eclipse, should read our eclipse glasses guide to ensure that they have the correct safety gear in proper working order with which to view the sun.

Photographers may also wish to avail themselves of our guide discussing the equipment and techniques needed to safely capture the phases of a solar eclipse. Those lucky enough to find themselves in the path of an upcoming event should also read our top tips for observing the sun, which details what to look out for as the Sept. 21 solar spectacle unfolds.

Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

On Aug. 2, 2027, a total solar eclipse will cast its shadow from the Strait of Gibraltar through North Africa and into the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. During the eclipse, the sun's disk will be completely covered from our perspective on Earth for a maximum of 6 minutes,22 seconds — the longest totality on land in 36 years, and the longest totality until June 3, 2114. No wonder it's being called the "eclipse of the century."

There's something else about this total solar eclipse that makes it unique: the climate. Not only is there a high chance that everyone in the path of totality will get a clear view, but for nearly all observers, a very long totality is possible. That makes this eclipse as much about where you want to go, with choices ranging from easy to exotic.

We asked eclipse experts how to plan for the 2027 total solar eclipse, whether you're a first-timer or a dedicated umbraphile. After all, nobody wants to get the eclipse of the century wrong.

Why location is everything

You must be within the path of totality — the moon's central umbral shadow — to witness a total solar eclipse. On Aug. 2, 2027, the path of totality will be 160 miles (258 kilometers) wide and cross 9,462 miles (15,227 km). That's about as wide as a path of totality can get, thanks to the moon being closer to Earth than usual during the event — hence the long totality. The path will cross parts of Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia and the British Indian Ocean Territory.

The maximum totality always occurs on the centerline of the path, where the entire diameter of the moon's shadow passes over. Only Spain misses out on the centerline, but long totalities are still possible there — up to 4 minutes, 40 seconds. About 100 extra seconds are on offer to anyone who gets to Luxor, Egypt. But as most eclipse chasers will tell you, it's not the duration of totality, but rather a clear view, that matters most. Choose your location according to where the sky is most likely to be clear.

"Cloud cover runs somewhere in the neighborhood of a zero to 5% chance extending from Benghazi in Libya to Saudi Arabia," said Jay Anderson, a Canadian meteorologist and veteran eclipse chaser who provides eclipse-related climatology and weather information on Eclipsophile. Clouds are not a significant concern between Spain and Tunisia, either, although they are more likely in some coastal and mountainous areas.

There's more good news: Unlike for the 2026 total solar eclipse, the sun's altitude will not be relevant — the sun will be 38 degrees above the eastern horizon in Spain and rising to almost overhead in Egypt. However, there are some possible obstacles to visibility, which we'll explain below.

Eclipse planning for Spain and Gibraltar

From North America and the U.K., Spain is one of the easiest places on the path to get to, and it includes some enticing locations. "It's visible from Andalucía, with places like Tarifa, Cádiz and Málaga getting 3 to 4.5 minutes of totality," said Oscar Martín Mesonero, an astrotourism expert and eclipse chaser who runs Startrails in Salamanca. "It's going to be incredible. I might stay in Spain for that one because it'll be hard to get into Egypt, where it's even longer."

Tempting locations include Baelo Claudia, an ancient Roman town on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar, Costa del Sol, and the charming city of Málaga, all of which have very high chances of clear skies in August.

Gibraltar is a good option, but don't make the mistake of climbing The Rock, which can easily produce its own cloud. You may get wet and miss the eclipse while those below you on the east-facing Sir Herbert Miles Road get a clear view.

Remarkably, just five months later, a very long annular solar eclipse — also called a "ring of fire" solar eclipse — will be visible from Cádiz, Seville, Valencia and Ibiza. "It's low on the horizon again, but if the sky is clear, it'll be spectacular," Mesonero said.

Eclipse planning for the Strait of Gibraltar

Many cruise ships will be in the Strait of Gibraltar, having tweaked their summer Mediterranean itineraries to be in position for a totality of around 4 minutes, 45 seconds. However, Anderson's data show that the Strait of Gibraltar is cloudier than any other region along the African portion of the track. Any cloudiness tends to burn off by the afternoon, but with totality in midmorning (08:45 UTC in this region, but local time zones differ), it will be as risky as it gets with this eclipse.

Eclipse planning for Morocco and Algeria

With a complex topography that significantly influences cloud cover and wind, Morocco and northern Algeria present slight challenges. In Morocco, most eclipse chasers will congregate in Tangier. However, due to the threat of marine clouds or fog, many will consider traveling slightly inland. For both countries, the best weather prospects are found in the interior and desert regions, which have lower risks of clouds.

Eclipse planning for Tunisia and Libya

With approximately 5 minutes, 42 seconds of totality and relatively affordable travel, Tunisia is well-positioned to attract eclipse chasers.

"Once you get into Tunisia, I think it's very much safe from cloud cover," Anderson said. "Tunisia has got the best weather, and Sfax would be a nice base."

The spectacular El Jem Amphitheater, just north of Sfax, will see 4 minutes, 21 seconds of totality. There will also be cruises off Tunisia, such as this one from Holland America, that will have an almost 100% chance of a clear view. Sfax is also about 18 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) cooler than Luxor, Egypt.

Few are likely to travel to Libya, where the path skims the capital, Tripoli, as it crosses the southern Mediterranean and then plunges into 6 minutes, 9 seconds of totality in Benghazi. However, Anderson noted that Libya and western Egypt have seen no clouds on Aug. 2 this century.

Eclipse planning for Egypt

Many eclipse chasers will be going to Luxor, Egypt, for the 2027 eclipse. The city, which was the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes, is filled with temples and will experience a 6 minutes, 20 seconds of totality.

In Luxor, totality will occur just after midday, and the skies there are almost always clear. However, Anderson said, "You can pick where you want to be in Egypt." That's because from Siwa Oasis and the Qattara Depression in northwestern Egypt to Asyut on the Nile, cloud cover is zero.

The crowds will be in Luxor, largely due to potential security issues and a lack of infrastructure in Asyut, Sohag and Qena, to the north, all of which are on or near the centerline. General tourist itineraries in this region focus on staying in Luxor and Aswan, the latter of which is just south of the path of totality. However, the spectacular Edfu Temple, Esnu Temple and Kom Ombo Temple to the south are all in the path, albeit with a shorter totality.

As Luxor hotels fill up, expect there to be Aswan-based itineraries that float eclipse chasers into the path on a traditional wooden "felucca" boat or drive groups to Kom Ombo for a 3-minute-30-second totality. Another option is the Red Sea coast, which experiences a totality just a few seconds shorter than Luxor, but with a sea breeze. In this region, AstroTrails is running one tour, and Beluga Reisen has another.

Eclipse planning for Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia

A total solar eclipse from the Grand Mosque in Mecca will tempt some, but only Muslims are permitted to enter the city. It will likely have a clear sky, but clouds are possible in the nearby town of Jeddah.

"If you want to be in Arabia, then get on the plains along the Red Sea coast, where the cloud cover drops down to 10%," Anderson said. In any other eclipse, those odds would be fantastic, but there's an almost 0% chance of clouds across the Red Sea in Egypt. Farther south, the threat of clouds increases, particularly in the mountains of Yemen and in Somalia.

The real threats: dust and heat

With a few exceptions, cloud cover won't be a big concern for eclipse chasers in 2027. Instead, the real threats will be dust and heat. Although dust storms can affect sky clarity in North Africa, they're usually short-lived and infrequent — and even if one were to occur, a view of the eclipsed sun might still be possible.

The bigger threat is heat. In North Africa, temperatures can range from a tolerable 86°F (30 °C) to an extreme 107°F (42°C). "All you have to be concerned about is just protecting yourself from the heat somewhat," Anderson said. "Use air-con when it's available, and have a wet cloth on the back of your neck." It will be important to stay hydrated and protect your camera gear from both high temperatures and dust.

Think like an eclipse chaser

Totality in 2027 offers rare rewards for those who plan. Whether you're day-tripping from Tangier or exploring Egyptian temples, remember to stay informed about temperatures and dust storms and to be willing to adjust your plan to get the best views. There's good reason to be confident of seeing the "eclipse of the century." As Anderson said, "I think we're all going to have a good one."

On Sunday, Sept. 21, the moon will chew a noticeable "bite" out of the sun; this partial solar eclipse will be visible across parts of the Southern Hemisphere and streamed live for skywatchers worldwide.

It's the second and final solar eclipse of 2025, arriving just before the September equinox, a date on which day and night are roughly the same length in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

You can learn more about the partial solar eclipse on Sept. 21 with our partial solar eclipse 2025 guide and keep up to date with the latest solar eclipse content with our solar eclipse live blog.

Timings

Starts: 1:29 p.m. EDT (17:29 GMT)

Peaks: 3:41–3:43 p.m. EDT (19:41–19:43 GMT), with about 80% of the sun obscured

Ends: 5:53 p.m. EDT (21:53 GMT)

Roughly 16.6 million people live within regions that will witness some degree of the eclipse. No location will see totality, as this is a partial eclipse only.

Where to watch

The greatest eclipse, where 80% of the sun will be covered, happens over a remote patch of the South Pacific between New Zealand and Antarctica.

Notable locations include:

• Balleny Islands (uninhabited, under New Zealand jurisdiction): ~78% coverage, starting about 10 minutes after sunrise
• Zucchelli Station (Italian Antarctic base): ~72% coverage
• McMurdo Station (U.S. Antarctic base): ~69% coverage

New Zealand highlights (local time on Sept. 22) according to Time and Date:

• Auckland: Starts 5:52 a.m., peaks 6:55 a.m. (60% coverage), ends 8:04 a.m.
• Christchurch / South Island dark-sky regions: Starts 6:03 a.m., peaks 7:08 a.m. (~70% coverage), ends 8:18 a.m.
• Invercargill and Stewart Island: Starts 6:09 a.m., peaks 7:13 a.m. (~73% coverage), ends 8:22 a.m.

How to watch

As this is a particularly remote eclipse, the majority of observers will likely be watching online. We will be livestreaming the eclipse here on Space.com; more details will be released closer to the time.

If you are in the path of the eclipse and plan on viewing it in person, remember it is never safe to look at the sun directly without adequate eye protection. Always use solar eclipse glasses or solar filters on telescopes, binoculars or cameras to avoid eye damage. Our how to view the sun safely guide is here to help you get the most out of your solar viewing experience.

A total solar eclipse will sweep over parts of Spain, Iceland and Greenland on Aug. 12, 2026, offering millions a chance to witness one of nature's greatest spectacles.

As the moon fully blocks the sun, day will turn briefly to night across the path of totality.

If you're already counting down the days, you're not alone; eclipse chasers far and wide are locking in their plans for what promises to be a phenomenal event. Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years is not to be missed.

Where and when to see it

The path of totality, the narrow strip where viewers will experience complete darkness as the moon fully blocks the sun, begins in the Arctic and crosses Iceland before reaching Spain during the early evening hours of Aug. 12, 2026.

In cities like Valencia, Zaragoza, and Palma de Mallorca, eclipse viewers can expect up to two minutes of totality. The likelihood of clear skies and warm weather makes Spain a top pick for many eclipse chasers.

To help plan your viewing, check out our complete total solar eclipse 2026 guide, which includes eclipse times, visibility maps, and safety tips.

Best places to watch the eclipse

From volcanoes in Iceland to medieval castles in Spain, the 2026 eclipse offers incredible backdrops for skywatchers. Spain provides the best chance of clear weather, while Iceland promises dramatic scenery. Our list of the best places to see the total solar eclipse 2026 breaks down top locations across the path of totality, including weather prospects, ease of access, and tourist highlights.

Want a visual overview? Check out these detailed maps showing exactly where the eclipse will be visible.

How to plan your eclipse trip

Accommodation is already filling up in many eclipse hotspots. Whether you're flying to Mallorca or road-tripping through rural Spain, now is the time to plan. Our guide to planning your 2026 eclipse trip offers tips on where to stay, how to get around, and what to pack.

If you'd rather leave the logistics to someone else, you're in luck. From hiking retreats to guided astronomy tours, these 10 incredible eclipse adventures will take your skywatching experience to the next level.

Eclipse hunting by sea

With most of the eclipse occurring over the ocean, a cruise may offer the best seat in the house. Several eclipse-themed voyages are setting sail across the Atlantic and Mediterranean, offering expert talks, stargazing nights, and front-row views. Explore your options with our guide to the best cruises for the 2026 total solar eclipse.

Insider tips from eclipse chasers

Seasoned eclipse travelers know how to make the most of the moment. From weather-watching strategies to packing essentials, veteran eclipse chasers shared their best travel advice and skywatching secrets to help you prepare.

The total solar eclipse of 2026 is shaping up to be a truly unforgettable experience. But totality doesn't last long — just a couple of minutes at most — so preparation is key. From choosing the right location to packing your eclipse glasses, now is the time to start planning your next adventure.

A viral claim making the rounds online and on social media claims "the world to go dark for six minutes" on Aug. 2, intimating that it won't happen again for 100 years. It won't. How could it? There will be no global blackout. However, something special connected with darkness will happen on Aug. 2 in a couple of years.

What's likely fueling the confusion is a genuinely spectacular event coming up on Aug. 2, 2027, which we've been rightly calling the "eclipse of the century." On that day, the moon will completely block the sun for up to 6 minutes and 22 seconds, delivering the longest period of totality on land in the 21st century

For comparison, the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse across Mexico, the U.S. and Canada offered a maximum totality of 4 minutes and 28 seconds — already considered unusually long.

It may seem like hyperbole, but the total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027, is being dubbed the "eclipse of the century" for good reason. It will bring the longest totality on land of the entire 21st century (since 1991, in fact) and will be the longest remaining totality until July. 16, 2114. So while the "won't happen again for 100 years" assertion is false, 2027's totality is the longest for 87 years.

The path of totality in 2027 — where it will "go dark" (though it's actually more like a 360-degree twilight) — is wider than usual, because the moon will be at its closest, but it's still narrow on a global scale. On Aug. 2, 2027, the path will be about 160 miles (258 kilometers) wide and surge across 9,462 miles (15,227 km) of Earth's surface. That's about 1.5 million square miles (2.5 million square km) — a lot, but a tiny fraction of Earth's 197 million square miles (510 million square kilometers).

The path of totality will cross parts of 11 countries, mostly across North Africa and the Middle East. The total solar eclipse will be visible in Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. A partial eclipse will be visible across most of Africa, Europe and southern Asia. For the rest of the world — including North America — it will be business as usual.

To witness a total solar eclipse is a rare and awe-inspiring experience if you're in the right spot — and have clear skies. Within the path on Aug. 2, 2027, are some spectacular places to experience totality, from Tarifa at the southern tip of Spain to the beaches of Tunisia and Luxor, the temple-strewn capital of ancient Egypt.

That's all happening in August 2027, not this August. It's not possible for the entire Earth to simultaneously go dark. Besides, there is no solar eclipse of any type in August. The next one is a partial solar eclipse on Sept. 21, when up to 80% of the sun will be eclipsed by the moon as seen from the Pacific Ocean (including Fiji, Tahiti and New Zealand) and Antarctica.

The world will not go dark this August, but if the century's longest total solar eclipse appeals, circle Aug. 2, 2027, on your calendar and book a trip right now.

On Aug. 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will flash across a small part of the Northern Hemisphere, bringing totality to Greenland, Iceland and Spain.

Totality lasts only a couple of minutes, but planning the perfect eclipse trip can take months or years. So we asked eclipse experts and seasoned eclipse chasers from around the world what it takes to witness totality in all its glory.

Whether you're a first-timer or a returning "umbraphile," this guide will help you prepare for one of nature's greatest events.

Why location is everything

To witness a total solar eclipse, you must be within the narrow path of totality — the strip of land where the moon completely blocks the sun. Even a 99% eclipse leaves the dazzling solar disk exposed, and the magic of the corona — the sun's ghostly outer atmosphere — is lost.

Those in eastern Greenland are likely to be on a cruise ship and almost certainly in Scoresby Sund, which is entirely within the path of totality. In Iceland, only the west coast is in the path. For Spain, the path narrowly misses both Madrid and Barcelona, but it crosses some of the country's most remote and beautiful regions. However, in Spain, the eclipse occurs shortly before sunset, so there's a risk that it will be too low to be seen.

Related: Where can I see the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026?

"Many national parks are in mountainous regions, which could block your view — not ideal for this eclipse," said Oscar Martín Mesonero, an astrotourism expert and eclipse chaser who runs Startrails in Salamanca, just south of the path. "But Spain has many beautiful rural areas with open skies, old towns, Roman aqueducts and castles — perfect for combining eclipse chasing with travel."

Cruise ships and Greenland

There will also be thousands of people on cruise ships; many typically sail into the Mediterranean anyway and have tweaked their itineraries to be off the coast of Spain. However, it may be trickier to find a clear view.

"The prospects are better on land than over the ocean," said Jay Anderson, a Canadian meteorologist and veteran eclipse chaser who provides eclipse-related climatology and weather information on Eclipsophile. "But even with high average cloud cover, satellite images often show that there are always some areas of clear skies." Images from the geostationary Eumetsat satellites will be crucial for finding a clear spot.

It will matter where the ship is. The places on the track that are most likely to be cloudy are along the Greenland coast and anywhere in the Atlantic, but clear skies are more likely off northern Spain and highly likely in the Mediterranean.

Related: Best total solar eclipse 2026 cruises for the ultimate adventure

For the adventurous, Greenland offers pristine Arctic landscapes, and for those on expedition-style cruises in Scoresby Sund, there will be a total solar eclipse of up to 2 minutes, 17 seconds, with the sun about 25 degrees above the western horizon. This is a bucket-list trip about more than just the eclipse, and travel costs are high — it's something for experienced eclipse chasers who want something new and exciting. With travel and logistics in hand, the only issue is the weather.

"It's not too unreasonable to expect decent conditions because air flowing off the ice cap and down to the ocean tends to dry out and clear the clouds," Anderson said of Scoresby Sund. "However, if a large weather system moves in, it can blanket the whole sky and stick around for days." Let's hope not; Scoresby Sund hasn't seen a total solar eclipse since 1187 and, after 2026, won't witness one again until 2911.

Iceland

Iceland offers one of the most photogenic landscapes on Earth — including waterfalls, volcanoes and geothermal spas — and boasts the longest totality on land, at 2 minutes, 13.7 seconds. It will be Iceland's first total solar eclipse since 1954. The eclipse also occurs 25 degrees above the southwest horizon, so there's no need to worry about sight lines.

"The path passes over the most populated areas of the country, about 290,000 people," said Sævar Helgi Bragason, Iceland's most famous eclipse chaser, who offers maps and more on Eclipse2026.is. Only the west of the country — the Reykjanes Peninsula, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and the Westfjords — are in the path. The main roads are excellent, but mobility could be an issue.

"Tourism has taken its toll on many of the single-lane roads, and we're expecting heavy traffic," Sævar said. "Eclipse chasers won't be the problem because they will know where to go. But the eclipse is on a Wednesday, and locals will probably stop working at around noon and then drive to wherever they want to go."

That means lots of traffic, so get in the path as early in the day as possible. Arriving late for an eclipse aligns with Icelandic culture. "Nature is so unpredictable here — we could have a volcanic eruption happening the same day; it's a real possibility, Sævar said, "so we usually don't prepare for anything until very late."

Another issue with Iceland is the weather. "There's a saying in Iceland that if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes, and it'll change completely," Sævar said. "Even storms are sometimes broken up in patches. When we chase the northern lights in winter, we are bombarded by a blizzard for a few minutes, and then it clears up again." Iceland has exceptional weather forecasts from the Icelandic Met Office, which also provides aurora forecasts.

"Iceland is very seldom completely overcast in August — there's always a hole somewhere," Anderson said. He thinks it will likely be possible to stay in Reykjavik, which is in the path, and take a morning drive north for up to two-and-a-half hours to where clear weather is forecast. "Western Iceland is the sunniest part, but there's a lot of moisture, so get close to the water on one of these peninsulas to have a bit of an onshore flow."

Spain

Most travelers will head to Spain for the 2026 total solar eclipse. The path of totality — the first in Spain since 1905 — cuts a diagonal track across the northeast of the country, from Galicia to Catalonia, with the longest duration (about 1 minute, 44 seconds) occurring just before sunset.

Terrain matters. "Spain is the second-most mountainous country in Europe, after Switzerland," Eduard Masana Fresno, an astronomer at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences in Barcelona. "There are the Cantabrian Mountains in the north of the path, the Meseta plateau north of Madrid and the Iberian System in the east of the path."

In eastern regions and Mallorca, even modest hills could block the eclipse entirely. However, the new Eclipse Viewing Map from Spain's Geographic Institute accounts for the terrain, atmospheric refraction and azimuth (place on the horizon) of the sun to help observers avoid blocked sight lines. There's another reason to avoid shaded valleys and eastern slopes of mountain ranges: Late-day storms are common in August, although average August cloud cover across the path is less than 50%.

Travel in and around Spain will be fairly easy, but bear in mind that there will be a lot of locals traveling into the path on eclipse day, particularly from Madrid and Barcelona. "The Spanish love road trips, and many will be on holiday in the path," Mesonero said. "People from all over Spain will head to the path, and accommodation could be tricky — it's peak vacation season." He expects there to be eclipse events throughout the path, even in places near the edge that only get 30 seconds of totality.

From speaking to eclipse chasers in Spain, one thing is clear: Do not attempt to drive back to Madrid or Barcelona right after the eclipse, or you'll be queuing with perhaps millions of people. Instead, stay overnight in the path. Another reason to do so is the Perseid meteor shower, which peaks Aug. 12-13, just a few hours after the eclipse. Rural skies will also showcase the Milky Way arching across the southern sky.

Think like an eclipse chaser

Wherever you go, eclipse experts agree on three key strategies: Plan ahead, check weather forecasts and stay mobile. Whether you chase the eclipse from Spain's plains, Iceland's wild coast or Greenland's icy fjords, witnessing the 2026 total solar eclipse will be a moment you'll carry for life. And if you miss this one or you want to plan your next adventure, there will be another chance fairly soon: Spain will experience another total solar eclipse exactly one lunar year later, on Aug. 2, 2027.