MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – A total solar eclipse crossed the Russian Arctic on August 12, 2026, before moving toward Europe. The event began over remote northern areas of Russia at about 17:00 GMT. Roscosmos reported the start as the Moon’s shadow entered the high Arctic. The path then continued across the Arctic Ocean, eastern Greenland and western Iceland. It later reached northern Spain and a small part of northeastern Portugal near sunset.
Totality reached Russia, Greenland, Iceland and Spain during the August 12 eclipse. (AI-generated image)
The eclipse reached its greatest phase over the North Atlantic at 17:45:53.8 UTC. NASA calculations showed maximum totality lasting about two minutes and 18 seconds. The central path measured roughly 294 kilometers across at that point. During totality, the Moon completely covered the Sun’s bright surface. That allowed the solar corona to become visible around the dark lunar disk. Areas outside the central corridor experienced a partial eclipse instead of complete darkness.
The shadow reached northern Russia first and then moved westward across the Arctic. It crossed eastern Greenland before passing over western Iceland and continuing into the Atlantic. Reykjavík sat within the path of totality, though cloud affected viewing conditions in the Icelandic capital. The eclipse then moved toward the Iberian Peninsula as the Sun dropped lower in the sky. Northern Spain became one of the final major populated areas to experience totality.
Totality moves across Arctic and Atlantic
Spain saw the eclipse late in the day, with totality occurring shortly before sunset in many locations. The event marked the country’s first total solar eclipse in more than a century. People gathered across northern and central Spain to watch the Moon cover the Sun. The low position of the Sun placed the eclipse close to the western horizon. Clearer skies in several Spanish areas allowed observers to see the complete phase before daylight returned.
Weather conditions differed across the eclipse route. Cloud and rain limited direct viewing from parts of Iceland, including Reykjavík. Other locations along the path had better visibility. During the partial phases, the Moon covered only part of the Sun and daylight remained. Those phases lasted longer than totality and extended across a much wider area. Europe, northwestern Africa and parts of North America all experienced some degree of partial solar eclipse.
Spain receives final European phase
People outside the totality corridor needed proper solar protection throughout the partial eclipse. Certified eclipse glasses or approved solar filters protected viewers from direct sunlight. Eye protection could come off only during complete totality, when the Moon fully blocked the solar disk. Viewers had to replace protection as soon as sunlight returned. The same safety rule applied before and after totality, including areas where observers saw only a partial eclipse.
The Moon’s shadow left Europe after crossing the Iberian Peninsula near sunset. Northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and northeastern Portugal all lay along the totality route. Much broader regions across Europe, Africa and North America saw the partial phase. The August 12 eclipse followed the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse across North America. The 2026 event instead centered on the Arctic, North Atlantic and western Europe, linking several distant regions in one continuous path.