Solar Eclipse 2026

Map & timings

Where the shadow falls, minute by minute

The path of totality is a band roughly 290 km wide. Inside it, day becomes night. Outside it, the whole of Europe still sees a deep partial eclipse — if you know when to look.

NASA map of the August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse: the path of totality crosses the Arctic, eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain; contour lines show partial eclipse percentages across Europe
Official eclipse map — NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio (Ernie Wright, USRA). Contour lines show the fraction of the Sun covered outside the path.

The shadow’s journey

  1. 17:34 UTC · Russian Arctic

    The Moon’s shadow touches down near the North Pole and starts racing south-west.

  2. ≈17:40 UTC · Eastern Greenland

    Totality sweeps the remote east coast — expedition-cruise territory.

  3. 17:48 local · Western Iceland

    Reykjavík goes dark for a full minute with the Sun a comfortable 24° high — the west coast gets up to ~2 minutes.

  4. 20:27–20:33 CEST · Northern Spain

    The shadow makes landfall in Galicia and crosses to Valencia and the Balearics, Sun only 3–12° above the horizon.

  5. ≈20:33 CEST · Mediterranean sunset

    The eclipsed Sun sets over the sea — the shadow leaves Earth’s surface.

In the path of totality

Local times of maximum eclipse. Remember the golden rule of this eclipse: pick a spot with a clear western horizon.

CityCountryMaximum (local)Totality lastsNotes
ReykjavíkIceland17:48 GMT1m 0s
A CoruñaSpain20:28 CEST1m 17sSun low (~12°) at maximum; the entire eclipse is visible before sunset.
OviedoSpain20:28 CEST1m 49sOne of the longest totalities in Spain — Sun ~10° at maximum.
SantanderSpain20:27 CEST1m 3sSun ~9° at maximum; the eclipse ends just minutes before sunset.
BilbaoSpain20:27 CEST0m 31sNear the edge of the path — totality lasts only ~31 seconds here. A short trip west or south buys a full minute more.
BurgosSpain20:29 CEST1m 44sLong totality — Sun ~8° at maximum.
ValladolidSpain20:30 CEST1m 28sSun ~9° at maximum.
ZaragozaSpain20:29 CEST1m 24sSun very low (6°) at maximum — a clear western horizon is essential.
ValenciaSpain20:33 CEST1m 0sSun extremely low (4.5°) during totality — the Mediterranean horizon west of the city works perfectly.
Palma de MallorcaSpain20:31 CEST1m 36sSun just 2.6° above the horizon during totality — an unobstructed west-facing sea horizon is essential.

Partial eclipse across Europe

Percentage of the Sun’s surface covered at maximum, with local time. Everywhere in this table, certified eclipse glasses are required for the entire event —see the safety guide.

Iceland

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Akureyri97.9%17:46 GMT

Spain

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Madrid99.9%20:32 CEST
Barcelona99.8%20:29 CEST
San Sebastián99.7%20:27 CEST
Seville94.6%20:37 CEST

Portugal

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Porto98.2%19:32 WEST
Lisbon94.5%19:36 WEST

France

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Biarritz99.4%20:26 CEST
Toulouse97.8%20:26 CEST
Bordeaux97.5%20:24 CEST
Brest96.5%20:19 CEST
Marseille96.3%20:25 CEST
Nantes95.7%20:20 CEST
Nice95.1%20:24 CEST
Lyon93.8%20:21 CEST
Paris92.1%20:17 CEST
Strasbourg89.8%20:16 CEST

United Kingdom

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
London91.4%19:13 BST
Edinburgh90.6%19:05 BST

Ireland

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Dublin93.9%19:10 IST

Germany

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Munich88.8%20:15 CEST
Frankfurt88.1%20:13 CEST
Hamburg85.3%20:07 CEST
Berlin84.8%20:08 CEST

Belgium

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Brussels89.6%20:13 CEST

Netherlands

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Amsterdam88.2%20:10 CEST

Switzerland

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Geneva92.7%20:20 CEST
Zurich90.5%20:18 CEST

Austria

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Vienna84.8%20:10 CEST

Italy

CitySun coveredMaximum (local)
Milan92.3%20:20 CEST
Rome69.1%20:11 CEST

Timings and coverage sourced from timeanddate.com and NASA; values rounded. Low Sun altitude means local obstructions matter more than a percentage point — scout your horizon.