2026 solar eclipse path favors Spain and Iceland

The first total solar eclipse since 2024 will sweep across Iceland, Spain, and the Arctic on August 12, 2026, coinciding with the annual Perseid meteor shower and lasting longer than usual because the moon will be at its closest orbital point to Earth.

Totality — when the moon fully blocks the sun — will last longest at Látrabjargi in western Iceland, with Reykjavík, Isafjordur and other coastal cities also in the path. Spain, however, offers more land beneath the moon’s shadow and August weather 20 to 30 degrees warmer. Spanish cities with a full view include Bilbao, Burgos, Palma, Santander, Valencia, Valladolid, and Zaragoza. A sliver of northeast Portugal’s Montesinho Natural Park and remote corners of Russia and Greenland also lie in the path, though reaching those requires specialized expeditions.

Outside that band, the sun will appear partially covered. In North America, the northern United States and eastern Canada will see the eclipse, but coverage varies sharply: just 9 percent in New York City, reaching 53 percent in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

No location in the United States will experience totality, so anyone watching from there must wear certified eclipse glasses or use solar viewers the entire time. Sunglasses and binoculars are unsafe, and camera lenses need special filters. The American Astronomical Society lists approved products online.

For those without filters, pinhole projectors are easy to make — NASA’s website offers instructions — or you can use a colander or even crisscrossed fingers to project the eclipse onto the ground while facing away from the sun.

Specific peak times and coverage percentages for hundreds of cities are available from Time and Date.