2026 Solar Eclipse: What You Need to Know Right Now
11 Feb. 2026
On August 12, 2026, Europe gets a rare prize: a total solar eclipse with a path of totality crossing eastern Greenland, western Iceland, and northern Spain.
For many European countries, the event will still be dramatic: a deep partial eclipse unfolding in the late afternoon into sunset, with the Sun often sitting low in the western sky.
A Partial eclipse will also be visible from Canada and Alaska
Even though the eclipse is still months away, planning now matters, especially if you want totality. The corridor where the Sun goes fully dark is narrow, and the most convenient areas are already drawing attention.
This guide will help you choose where to watch, whether you’re chasing totality or aiming for the best partial eclipse experience closer to home.
Total solar eclipses are in a class of their own: daylight collapses into an eerie twilight, the sky shifts, and the Sun’s corona appears. Something a partial eclipse, even a very deep one, simply can’t replicate. Partial solar eclipses, especially when they’re very deep, remain rare, spectacular events that are absolutely worth seeing.
The maximum possible duration of totality for this eclipse reaches about 2 minutes 18 seconds, with the longest totality occurring near Iceland.
In Spain, totality happens late in the day, close to sunset. You’ll need a clear western horizon.
April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse captured with Vespera.
Prime destinations for the full totality experience
If you can reach the path of totality, do it. You won't regret it.
Northern Spain: the easiest totality chase for most Europeans
Spain offers the most straightforward combination of access, infrastructure, and typically better odds of clear skies than Iceland (though nowhere is guaranteed).
In Spain, the eclipse will be total across much of the northern half of the country. It becomes visible first in Galicia, and the last Spanish landfall is the Balearic Islands.
Three factors to choose your observing site
Cloud risk (the #1 criterion)
Weather decides everything.
Even within Spain, not all areas are equal. Atlantic-facing zones tend to be more cloud-prone than inland plateaus. So it often makes sense to favor inland regions if your goal is simply to see totality.
Whatever you pick, plan like an eclipse chaser: watch forecasts closely in the final days and keep the ability to move on eclipse day.
Cloud coverage probabilities on August - Credit :CM SAF/EUMETSAT
Distance to the center line (totality duration)
The closer you are to the eclipse’s center line, the longer totality lasts.
To give you a concrete sense of scale in Spain:
A Coruña: totality about 76 seconds.
Burgos: totality about 104 seconds.
Valladolid: totality about 1 minute 27 seconds.
A strong “all-round” target zone is the broad Castilla y León / northern interior corridor (think León–Palencia–Burgos–Soria area).
Sun height above the horizon
This eclipse in Spain happens very close to sunset, so the Sun will be low.
That’s both:
an opportunity (spectacular foregrounds for photos, surreal lighting), and
a constraint (you must have a clear view to the west, no hills/buildings/trees blocking the last degrees above the horizon).
The farther west, the better.
Example reference points from Spain’s official astronomy service:
Burgos: Sun about 8° high at maximum.
Palma (Mallorca): Sun about 2° high at maximum—very low, just minutes before sunset.
Mallorca can be spectacular, but it’s high-stakes: choose a site with an unobstructed sea-level horizon.
Timetable for Spain cities where the eclipse is totale (local time)
| Country | City | Partial eclipse begins |
Total eclipse begins |
Maximum | Total eclipse ends |
Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Castellón de la Plana | 19:37 | 20:31:20 | 20:32:08 | 20:32:54 | 21:00 |
| Spain | Palma de Mallorca | 19:38 | 20:31:05 | 20:31:53 | 20:32:41 | 20:49 |
| Spain | Valladolid | 19:34 | 20:29:54 | 20:30:38 | 20:31:21 | 21:22 |
| Spain | León | 19:32 | 20:28:21 | 20:29:13 | 20:30:05 | 21:28 |
| Spain | A Coruña | 19:30 | 20:27:44 | 20:28:21 | 20:28:59 | 21:41 |
Western Iceland: longer totality, wild landscapes, higher Sun
Iceland is the cinematic option: volcanic coastlines, ocean horizons, and a Sun much higher than in Spain.
The path of totality crosses Iceland’s Westfjords, Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and Reykjanes Peninsula, and totality is visible even from the Reykjavík area.
From the tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, probably the best place, the totality lasts 2 minutes.
In Reykjavík, totality lasts about 1 minute, and the Sun is roughly 24.5° above the horizon when totality begins, much more comfortable than Spain’s near-sunset geometry.
The trade-off is obvious: cloud risk is typically higher than in Spain, so Iceland rewards flexibility and luck.
| Country | City | Partial eclipse begins |
Total eclipse begins |
Maximum eclipse |
Total eclipse ends |
Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland | Reykjavík | 16:47 | 17:48:18 | 17:48:48 | 17:49:18 | 21:53 |
| Iceland | Ólafsvík | 16:45 | 17:45:56 | 17:46:58 | 17:48:00 | 22:06 |
Best places for a “great partial eclipse” experience
Can’t get to totality? You can still catch a remarkable event, especially across western Europe, because the eclipse is deep in many locations.
A partial solar eclipse captured with Vespera
France, United Kingdom & Ireland
France gets a strong partial eclipse in the evening, particularly in the south where sun obscuration will be over 95% up to 99%
Paris reaches magnitude 0.931.
Because the Sun is low, pick a spot with a clean western horizon.
The UK also gets a deep partial eclipse:
London reaches magnitude 0.925, and the best views tend to be toward the southwest (where the eclipse is generally deeper).
Timetable for major cities in France, UK and Ireland (local time)
| Country | City | Max obscuration | Partial eclipse begins |
Maximum eclipse |
Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Montpellier | 96% | 19:31 | 20:25 | 20:53 |
| France | Perpignan | 98% | 19:32 | 20:27 | 20:55 |
| France | Toulouse | 98% | 19:31 | 20:26 | 21:03 |
| France | Pau | 99% | 19:31 | 20:27 | 21:10 |
| France | Bordeaux | 97% | 19:29 | 20:24 | 21:14 |
| France | Lyon | 94% | 19:27 | 20:21 | 20:56 |
| France | Nantes | 96% | 19:24 | 20:20 | 21:25 |
| France | Brest | 96% | 19:22 | 20:19 | 21:40 |
| France | Paris | 92% | 19:22 | 20:17 | 21:11 |
| France | Lille | 90% | 19:19 | 20:14 | 21:16 |
| United Kingdom | London | 92% | 18:17 | 19:13 | 20:31 |
| United Kingdom | Cardiff | 92% | 18:16 | 19:13 | 20:43 |
| United Kingdom | Birmingham | 90% | 18:15 | 19:11 | 20:42 |
| United Kingdom | Manchester | 90% | 18:13 | 19:10 | 20:43 |
| United Kingdom | Glasgow | 91% | 18:08 | 19:06 | 21:03 |
| United Kingdom | Belfast | 92% | 18:10 | 19:08 | 21:05 |
| Ireland | Dublin | 93% | 18:12 | 19:10 | 21:02 |
| Ireland | Cork | 95% | 18:15 | 19:13 | 21:06 |
Switzerland & Northern Italy
In the Alps region, the eclipse is still strong but the Sun can be very low near maximum:
Zürich is around magnitude 0.919.
What about the rest of Europe?
Many other countries will see a meaningful partial eclipse (Benelux, Germany, Scandinavia, the Baltics, etc.), but conditions depend heavily on local sunset timing.
In parts of southeastern Europe, the eclipse can shrink to a very small bite or disappear entirely in some cities due to the Sun being too low:
Bulgaria (Sofia): magnitude around 0.048 at sunset, very small and very brief.
Greece: partial eclipse is visible in parts of the country, but some locations (including Athens) may not see it.
| Country | City |
Max |
Partial eclipse begins |
Maximum eclipse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Bruxelles | 89% | 19:18 | 20:13 |
| Austria | Wien | 85% | 19:22 | 20:10 |
| Croatia | Zagreb | 71% | 19:25 | 20:06 |
| Czechia | Praha | 86% | 19:19 | 20:11 |
| Denmark | København | 84% | 19:10 | 20:03 |
| Finland | Helsinki | 80% | 20:00 | 20:52 |
| Germany | Berlin | 85% | 19:15 | 20:08 |
| Hungary | Budapest | 56% | 19:22 | 19:56 |
| Italy | Milano | 92% | 19:27 | 20:20 |
| Norway | Oslo | 83% | 19:02 | 19:57 |
| Portugal | Lisboa | 95% | 18:39 | 19:36 |
| Sweden | Stockholm | 81% | 19:03 | 19:56 |
| Switzerland | Genève | 93% | 19:26 | 20:20 |
Outside Europe : Canada and Alaska
In Alaska, it plays out as a short morning bite: noticeable, but not dramatic for most people unless you’re far northwest. It’s still worth stepping outside. Just don’t expect a “day turns to night” moment.
In Canada, the experience is all about geography: it’s subtle across much of the west, then grows into a strong partial as you move toward Atlantic Canada (especially Newfoundland and Labrador) and parts of the far north.
One critical reminder: eye safety
Outside the brief window of full totality (only if you’re inside the path), you must use proper solar viewing protection. by watchin the eclipse with a smart telescope your eye are completely safe yet you need to protect the instrument sensor with a proper filter.
Order your Vespera solar filter right now to be sure to get geared for the D-day
You now have everything you need to start planning your eclipse trip. Follow us on the blog and on social media for more updates as the event approaches.
