#aotearoa

Kahikatea trees in the fog, Waikato River, Tuakau

by Wayne Meads

A Rare Celestial Event Across Europe

On 12 August 2026, one of nature’s most spectacular astronomical events will take place: a total solar eclipse will cross the northern hemisphere, with the path of totality passing through Greenland, Iceland, the North Atlantic, northern Spain and a small part of Portugal.

For millions of people, the Sun will briefly disappear behind the Moon, turning daytime into an extraordinary twilight.

🌍 Where will the total eclipse be visible?

The Moon’s shadow will travel across the Earth along a narrow corridor approximately 294 kilometres wide at its maximum.

The path will cross:

🇬🇱 Greenland

🇮🇸 Iceland

🌊 The North Atlantic

🇪🇸 Northern Spain

🇵🇹 Northern Portugal

Outside this narrow path, observers will see a partial solar eclipse, with the amount of the Sun covered depending on their location.

⏱️ Almost 2 minutes 20 seconds of totality

The longest total phase will last approximately 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

The point of greatest eclipse is calculated at approximately:

65°13.5′ N, 25°13.7′ W

at 17:45:53 UTC.

At this location, the Sun will be about 25.8° above the horizon, making it one of the most favourable astronomical locations for experiencing the full spectacle.

The famous description of the event as "about a minute and a half of darkness" is therefore somewhat misleading: under ideal conditions, totality approaches two and a half minutes.

🇮🇸 Iceland: one of the best places to watch

Iceland will be one of the major destinations for eclipse observers.

The Westfjords are particularly interesting. On Icelandic territory, totality can approach 2 minutes 13 seconds in the most favourable locations.

In Reykjavík, totality will be considerably shorter — approximately one minute — but the city will still experience a spectacular transformation of daylight.

The eclipse will occur during the afternoon and early evening, providing much better solar altitude than in parts of Spain.

🇪🇸 Spain: spectacular — but challenging

Northern Spain offers another extraordinary opportunity.

The path of totality will cross the country from the Atlantic towards the east, passing through areas of northern and central Spain before continuing towards the Mediterranean and the Balearic region.

But there is an important catch:

The Sun will be very low in the sky.

This means that choosing a location simply because it lies inside the path of totality is not enough.

For the best experience, observers should look for:

an unobstructed western or northwestern horizon;

high ground where possible;

no mountains blocking the Sun;

no buildings or trees in the line of sight;

and, of course, favourable weather.

A location only a few kilometres away can sometimes provide a much better view simply because its horizon is clearer.

🌑 What will actually happen?

The eclipse will develop in several dramatic stages.

First contact:

The Moon begins to move across the Sun.

Partial eclipse:

The solar disk gradually becomes a crescent.

Approaching totality:

The landscape begins to darken rapidly. Shadows become strange and sharply defined, temperatures may fall, and the sky takes on an unusual colour.

Totality:

The Moon completely covers the visible solar disk.

For a brief moment, the brilliant solar photosphere disappears and the solar corona becomes visible around the black silhouette of the Moon.

Bright stars and planets may become visible.

Then comes one of the most spectacular moments:

💎 The Diamond Ring.

A final burst of sunlight appears around the edge of the Moon, signalling the end of totality.

And then daylight rapidly returns.

☄️ An extraordinary coincidence: the Perseids

There is another reason why August 2026 will be especially interesting for astronomers.

The Perseid meteor shower reaches its annual peak around this period.

This creates an unusual astronomical combination:

🌞 Day: Total solar eclipse

🌌 Night: Perseid meteor shower

For visitors travelling to Iceland or Spain, the trip could therefore become an entire astronomical experience rather than simply a few minutes of eclipse viewing.

👥 Almost one billion people may see the eclipse

The total eclipse itself will be visible only from a relatively narrow corridor.

But the partial eclipse will cover a huge area.

Approximately 980 million people could experience at least some phase of the eclipse — roughly 12% of the world's population.

Only around 15 million people will be located within the path of totality.

That enormous difference explains why total solar eclipses remain such rare experiences.

Seeing a 90% or even 99% partial eclipse is impressive.

But 100% is completely different.

During totality, the Sun's bright surface disappears and the solar corona becomes visible to the naked eye.

🗺️ The eclipse is moving incredibly fast

The central line of totality crosses enormous distances in only minutes.

According to NASA's eclipse calculations, the central line moves approximately through:

18:20 UTC

48.21° N, 13.05° W

18:24 UTC

45.98° N, 10.19° W

18:28 UTC

43.37° N, 6.19° W

18:30 UTC

41.82° N, 3.19° W

18:32 UTC

39.41° N, 2.95° E

The Moon's shadow therefore sweeps across Europe at an extraordinary speed.

🇳🇿 What about New Zealand?

Unfortunately, New Zealand will not be inside the visible path of the 12 August 2026 eclipse.

For observers in New Zealand, the event will need to be followed through astronomical livestreams and online observatories.

For those willing to travel internationally, however, Iceland and Spain offer some of the most accessible locations from which to experience totality.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Protect your eyes

A partial solar eclipse must never be viewed directly with ordinary sunglasses.

Special-purpose solar viewing glasses or certified solar filters are required.

The only time it is safe to look directly at the Sun during a total eclipse is during the brief period of complete totality, when the entire bright solar disk is hidden by the Moon.

The instant the first bright sunlight reappears, eye protection must be used again.

🌎 A date worth remembering

12 AUGUST 2026

For a few precious minutes, the Moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun.

Daylight will fade.

The horizon may glow with strange colours.

Stars may appear.

The solar corona will surround a black Moon.

And then, almost as quickly as it began, the Sun will return.

A cosmic event that took millions of years of celestial motion to create — and only a few minutes for us to witness.

🌑 12 August 2026 — Total Solar Eclipse

🇮🇸 Iceland

🇪🇸 Spain

🇵🇹 Portugal

🌍 A spectacle seen across the world

Sources: NASA Solar Eclipse Information, NASA GSFC/Fred Espenak eclipse calculations, ESA, Icelandic government eclipse information and Timeanddate astronomical calculations.