A Sunflower's View of Totality
A total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, cast a shadow over northern Spain, offering rare views of the Sun’s corona and solar prominences. NASA conducted airborne and balloon-based observations to study the Sun and Earth’s atmosphere during the event.
A total solar eclipse darkened parts of northern Spain on August 12, 2026, as the Moon passed directly between the Sun and Earth. The path of totality, where the Sun was fully obscured, stretched across northern Spain, Greenland, and Iceland. Observers in León witnessed the eclipse begin at 7:32 p.m. local time, with totality lasting about two minutes starting at 8:28 p.m., just before sunset.
During totality, a solar prominence—a glowing loop of super-hot plasma—was visible extending into the Sun’s corona. These prominences, often many times wider than Earth, are visible to the naked eye during eclipses due to the Sun’s blocked light. The event provided a rare opportunity to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, which is typically obscured by its brightness.
NASA deployed teams to Iceland to track the eclipse’s shadow using high-altitude WB-57 jets, capturing images of the corona in visible and infrared light. The Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project also launched balloons before, during, and after the eclipse to measure changes in Earth’s atmosphere caused by the temporary dimming of sunlight.
While totality was visible only in a narrow path, a partial eclipse was observed across Europe, Africa, Canada, and parts of the U.S. NASA has made photos and videos from the event available in its image library. The next total solar eclipse will occur on August 2, 2027, crossing southern Spain, North Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.