Total Solar Eclipse August 12, 2026: Path, Times, and Everything You Need to Know

Major cities along the path:

• Reykjavík, Iceland
• A Coruña, León, Bilbao, Burgos, Zaragoza, Valencia, and Palma (Mallorca) in Spain
• A small corner of northeastern Portugal

Key times (all in UTC):

• Partial eclipse begins: 15:34 UTC
• Totality first touches Earth: 16:58 UTC
• Greatest eclipse (maximum coverage): 17:46 UTC
• Totality ends: 18:34 UTC
• Partial eclipse ends: 19:58 UTC

The point of greatest eclipse — where the Sun is most completely covered — occurs at 17:46 UTC in the North Atlantic west of Iceland, near 65°N latitude .

Maximum totality duration: 2 minutes and 18 seconds (2 minutes 18.2 seconds), occurring over the Denmark Strait about 45 km off Iceland's western coast . In Iceland and northern Spain, totality will be shorter: Reykjavík gets about 1 minute 1 second, while Spanish cities see between approximately 1 minute 20 seconds to 1 minute 45 seconds, depending on location .

How Many People Will See It?

• Inside the path of totality: Roughly 15 million people in Spain, Iceland, Greenland, Russia, and Portugal .
• Partial eclipse visibility: An estimated nearly 1 billion people across Europe, West Africa, Scandinavia, and parts of North America will see at least a partial eclipse .

Economic Impact: A Tourism Windfall

Spain is the biggest beneficiary of eclipse tourism. The Spanish government estimates 446,000–446,700 additional tourists between August 10–16, contributing a net €347.6 million to the national economy . Foreign visitors are expected to spend roughly €247 million, while domestic tourists add another €95 million .

Hotel prices have surged dramatically:

• In Reykjavík, average hotel rooms hit £587 (~$750) on the night of the eclipse, with rates rising 140% compared to the same date in 2025 .
• In A Coruña (Spain), hotel rates more than doubled .
• In Soria (Spain), a prime viewing province, the average hotel room price soared from under €150 to around €900 .

Airline capacity also expanded: Icelandair and Delta added extra flights into Reykjavík to meet demand . Overall, scheduled airline seats during eclipse week are up 7.9% year-on-year .

Safety and Challenges: Heat, Fire, and Traffic

This eclipse arrives during a severe summer heatwave in Spain, creating significant safety concerns.

Extreme heat: Temperatures in Spain are exceeding 35°C, with some inland areas reaching 40°C on eclipse day .

Wildfire risk: Spain's meteorological agency AEMET declared a "very high" to "extreme" forest fire risk across most of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands . Spain's government deployed more than 35,000 police officers to manage crowds and mitigate fire hazards, including fires caused by discarded cigarettes or parking on dry vegetation . Regional authorities have banned barbecues, fireworks, and parking near dry brush, and closed some natural parks and trails .

Traffic congestion: Spain's traffic authority (DGT) warned of up to 1.5 million additional car journeys toward the path of totality, comparable to peak holiday travel . Heavy goods vehicles face temporary restrictions in some regions, and officials urge viewers not to stop on motorways, hard shoulders, or bridges to watch the eclipse .

U.S. Embassy advisory: The U.S. Embassy in Madrid advised travelers that local authorities may ask for a hotel reservation or proof of domicile to access certain viewing areas restricted to traffic .

Livestreams: Watch Online

If you are not in the path of totality, free webcasts are available from:

• NASA
• European Space Agency (ESA)
• Exploratorium

A Rare Celestial Coincidence: The Perseid Meteor Shower

The eclipse occurs just one day before the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower — a rare back-to-back celestial event. After the eclipse ends, sky-watchers can look for Perseid meteors under dark skies .

Historical Significance

This is the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Western Europe since 1999, and the first totality over the Iberian Peninsula in over a century . The path of totality is unusual because it begins by crossing from east to west — from Russia to Greenland — coming within just one degree of the North Pole .

What Comes Next? The August 2, 2027 Total Solar Eclipse

The next total solar eclipse will occur on August 2, 2027, crossing southern Spain, North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt), and the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Yemen). Totality will last up to 6 minutes and 23 seconds — among the longest of the 21st century — over Egypt's Luxor region. It will be visible as a partial eclipse across much of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East .