Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 6 hours ago
The 2026 total solar eclipse is almost here! This guide breaks down exactly where and when you can see totality across Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. Learn the precise local times to look up and prepare for this spectacular celestial event.
Transcript
00:00Four days to totality? For a total solar eclipse, being in the right place isn't enough.
00:05You also have to be there at exactly the right time.
00:08In four days, I'll be hoping to witness totality from this HX expedition voyage off the coast of East Greenland.
00:14But what time should you be looking up? Let's break it down.
00:18On August 12th, the moon's shadow will race across Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain
00:22before ending at sunset over the Mediterranean Sea.
00:25Now, the entire eclipse lasts around two hours, but the headline act, totality,
00:32or if you're outside but still close to the path, maximum eclipse, will be over before you know it.
00:39So to make the most of eclipse day, here are the times to remember.
00:43Here in East Greenland, we'll be watching from Scoresby Sun with HX expeditions,
00:48where totality begins around 4.35pm local time.
00:53Just over an hour later, the moon's shadow reaches Iceland.
00:57In Reykjavik, totality begins around 5.48pm local time.
01:02Finally, the eclipse reaches northern Spain and the Balearic Islands shortly before sunset,
01:07with totality beginning between around 8.26pm and 8.31pm, depending on where you are.
01:14If you're outside the path of totality, but still close enough to it,
01:18you'll see a spectacular partial eclipse.
01:21London will see about 91% of the sun covered and Paris around 92%,
01:26and Madrid, an incredible 99.97%.
01:30But even that's not enough for totality.
01:33That tiny slither of sunlight is still bright enough to hide the sun's beautiful outer atmosphere,
01:39known as the corona.
01:41And if you can't watch the eclipse in person,
01:43or you want to just follow along with all the action from around the world,
01:46we've got you covered.
01:47We'll be bringing you live streams on space.com,
01:50updates across our social media channels,
01:52and an eclipse live blog on our site,
01:54with reports from both here, in Greenland, and in Spain.
01:58Four days to go.
01:59Starting to feel very real now.
Comments

Recommended