Eclipses · August 12, 2026
Your location decides the view. Check local visibility and timing.
Peak
This event has passed. Its timing and source remain available for reference. See what’s coming next →
When it happens
Global reference time: August 12, 2026 at 17:45 UTC. Your local calendar date may differ.
The global eclipse time and catalog duration are not a timetable for your exact location. Consult local circumstances for your start, maximum and end.
What to expect
Partial eclipse across northern North America, western Africa, Europe, the Atlantic, Arctic, and part of the Pacific; totality crosses the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain, and a small part of Portugal
Catalog regions: north_america, africa, europe, atlantic, arctic, pacific. These are broad regions; check the source map for your exact location.
Use a safe solar viewer for partial and annular phases. Ordinary sunglasses are unsafe. Eclipse glasses do not make it safe to look through unfiltered binoculars, a camera or a telescope.
Read NASA’s complete eclipse safety guidance ↗Understand the moment
A solar eclipse requires the Moon to pass between Earth and the Sun near new moon. The Moon’s orbit is tilted by about five degrees to Earth’s orbital plane, so most new moons pass above or below the alignment needed for an eclipse.
Try it in the astronomy lab
Compare the Moon’s ordinary illumination on neighboring dates. Then use the eclipse source for the shadow path, contacts and visibility region.
Opens . Each scene is an exact daily sample, without interpolation; it is separate from the catalog peak of 17:45 UTC.
How to read the scene: Moonlight does not simulate eclipse shadows, red eclipse color or a solar eclipse viewed from Earth. The noon UTC sample is phase context, not a recreation of greatest eclipse.
A little context. A better view.
A solar eclipse is visible only within its viewing region, and the central path is narrower still. Lunar eclipses require the Moon to be above your horizon. A regional description does not guarantee visibility at your exact location.
The time in the catalog marks greatest eclipse. Your local start, maximum and end may differ. Follow the source maps and local circumstances before choosing an observing site.
Use a safe solar viewer that meets ISO 12312-2 for partial and annular phases. Ordinary sunglasses are not suitable. Never look through unfiltered binoculars, a camera or a telescope while wearing eclipse glasses; optics require appropriate front-mounted solar filters.
An eclipse can be geometrically visible and hidden by weather. Check the forecast close to the event and keep plans flexible. Lunar eclipses can be observed without special eye protection.
Learn more: NASA’s eclipse viewing safety guidance
South America, Antarctica, and western and southern Africa; annularity crosses Chile, Argentina, and the Atlantic
The Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia
Eastern Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific
Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and western and southern Asia
Take the sky with you
Open the astronomy calendar in Forecast Bar to explore events alongside your local weather and astronomy alert settings.
