Total solar eclipse to darken parts of Spain, Iceland and Greenland this month
The moon’s shadow will travel about 8,260 kilometres in roughly 90 minutes, with maximum totality lasting up to two minutes and 18 seconds off Iceland’s west coast.
Skywatchers are set for a rare celestial spectacle on 12 August when a total solar eclipse sweeps across parts of Spain, Iceland and Greenland, accompanied by a planetary alignment before dawn and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower after sunset.
The eclipse will begin near the North Pole before moving south across the Atlantic.
In mainland Spain, the eclipse will occur near sunset, with total darkness lasting around one minute in most locations. Small parts of Portugal, Greenland and Iceland will also experience totality before the event ends over the Mediterranean.
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A partial eclipse will be visible across much of Europe, West Africa, Canada, the northern United States, Alaska and Siberia. Scientists have stressed that certified eclipse glasses are essential for safe viewing, even where only part of the sun is obscured.
The eclipse coincides with several other astronomical events. Before sunrise, six planets will form an arc across the sky, while the Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak after nightfall under dark, moonless conditions.
Space agencies and research institutions are preparing extensive observation campaigns.
The European Space Agency (ESA) will host a live webcast from Spain's Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambre and organise public viewing events in Leon. Nasa and the Virtual Telescope Project will also provide live coverage.
ESA's Proba-3 mission and two of its solar telescopes will observe the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, while Nasa-backed university teams plan to launch more than 60 high-altitude balloons from Spain and Iceland to study atmospheric changes during the eclipse.
A Nasa high-altitude aircraft will also chase the moon's shadow, allowing scientists to extend totality to nearly three minutes while collecting thousands of images of the solar corona.
Astronomers say the 12 August eclipse is only the beginning of an extraordinary period for eclipse enthusiasts.
On 2 August 2027, an exceptionally long total solar eclipse lasting up to six minutes and 23 seconds will cross southern Spain before continuing over North Africa and the Middle East.
Spain will also witness an annular, or "ring of fire," solar eclipse on 26 Jan 2028, completing a rare sequence of three major solar eclipses in less than three years.
Spain has not experienced a full mainland total solar eclipse since the early 20th century, making the upcoming events especially significant for scientists and skywatchers alike.
