How to watch the Aug. 12, 2026, total solar eclipse
Watch the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse live online, or catch a partial eclipse from parts of the northern U.S. with proper eye protection.
Parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Portugal will see the sky darken on Aug. 12 during the only total solar eclipse of 2026. Millions across North America and Europe will also see a partial solar eclipse.
A total solar eclipse will darken the sky over parts of the Northern Hemisphere on Aug. 12, 2026, but people outside the path of totality can still watch the event online.
The narrow path of totality will cross northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a small corner of Portugal. A partial solar eclipse will be visible across a broader area, including parts of the northern United States, most of Canada, much of Europe and northwestern Africa.
An information panel displays measures on how to safely view an upcoming solar eclipse on a street in Palma de Mallorca on July 31, 2026. A total solar eclipse will be visible across much of Spain and partially in parts of western Europe on August 12. (Photo by Jaime REINA / AFP via Getty Images)
NASA and observatories around the world will provide livestreams as the moon passes in front of the sun.
What time is the Aug. 12 solar eclipse?
NASA will begin live coverage at 1:15 p.m. EDT on Aug. 12. The broadcast will include telescope views from across the eclipse path, expert commentary and footage from a high-altitude research aircraft following the moon’s shadow.
The Aug. 12, 2026 total solar eclipse path of totality.
Totality begins in Iceland at 1:45 p.m. EDT and reaches Spain at 2:28 p.m. EDT. NASA’s livestream will be available on NASA+, NASA’s website and the agency’s social media platforms.
Slooh will also host a Global Star Party featuring live views from locations along the eclipse path. Its public broadcast begins at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Slooh’s social media channels. A second Star Party covering the Perseid meteor shower will begin at 7 p.m. EDT.
Where will the partial solar eclipse be visible in the U.S.?
Parts of the northern U.S., from Alaska to North Carolina, will experience a partial solar eclipse. The moon will cover only a small portion of the sun across much of the Midwest and Northeast.
The eclipse will reach its maximum at 1:36 p.m. EDT in Detroit, where about 3% of the sun will be covered. Maximum eclipse will occur at 1:54 p.m. in New York City, with about 9% coverage, and at 1:55 p.m. in Boston, with about 16% coverage.
Anyone viewing the partial eclipse must wear certified eclipse glasses or use a safe handheld solar viewer during the entire event. Regular sunglasses do not provide adequate protection.
Eclipse glasses should comply with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard. Never look at the sun through binoculars, a telescope or a camera lens unless a specialized solar filter is secured to the front of the device.
How to view the eclipse without glasses
Victoria Guimbard uses a homemade box with a pinhole to observe a total solar eclipse from the Phillip and Patricia Frost Science Museum, Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
People without eclipse glasses can safely watch the partial eclipse indirectly by using a homemade pinhole projector.
A small opening in a piece of cardboard or an index card can project an image of the sun onto the ground, a sheet of paper or another surface. Stand with the sun behind you and look only at the projected image. Never look at the sun through the pinhole.
A pasta colander or another household object with small holes can create the same effect. As sunlight passes through the openings, it will cast multiple crescent-shaped images of the partially eclipsed sun.
Leaves can also act as natural pinhole projectors. Small gaps between the leaves may cast crescent-shaped shadows on the ground during the eclipse.
When is the next total solar eclipse?
The next total solar eclipse will occur on Aug. 2, 2027. Totality will be visible from southern Spain and parts of North Africa and the Middle East, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
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