Rare total solar eclipse to plunge parts of Europe into darkness in August

Parts of Europe will witness a rare total solar eclipse on August 12 as the Moon completely blocks the Sun, casting parts of northern Spain into darkness in the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 2006.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, temporarily blocking sunlight and casting a narrow shadow across the Earth's surface.

During totality, daytime briefly turns to twilight, temperatures can drop, and animals may behave as though night has fallen.

According to NASA, the phenomenon is possible because the Sun is about 400 times larger than the Moon but also roughly 400 times farther away from Earth, making both appear almost the same size in the sky. This allows the Moon to completely cover the Sun, revealing its outer atmosphere, known as the corona.

The eclipse will begin over a remote part of northern Russia before the path of totality moves across Greenland, Iceland, Spain and the northeastern tip of Portugal.

In Spain, the eclipse will travel from the northern city of Oviedo to the island of Mallorca, with observers experiencing up to two minutes of total darkness shortly before sunset. In Burgos, totality is expected to last one minute and 48 seconds.

A partial eclipse will also be visible across much of Europe, Canada, the northern United States and northwest Africa before and after totality.

Astronomers note that while solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth every year, total solar eclipses are rare for any particular location because the Moon's shadow covers only a narrow path.

Spain is also set to host two more major celestial events in the coming years. On August 2, 2027, another total solar eclipse—dubbed by some as the "eclipse of the century"—is expected to last six minutes and 23 seconds, making it the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century.

An annular, or "ring of fire," solar eclipse will also be visible from parts of Spain on January 26, 2028.

Experts have warned people never to look directly at the Sun during any phase of a solar eclipse without certified eclipse glasses, as doing so can cause permanent eye damage. They recommend using eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2:2015 international safety standard to safely observe the event.