August 12, 2026 Total Solar Eclipse: Path, Times, and Where to Watch

On August 12, 2026, the Moon will pass directly between the Sun and Earth, producing a total solar eclipse. The Moon's shadow will sweep from the Arctic near the North Pole, across Greenland and Iceland, and down into northern Spain.

At the point of greatest eclipse, totality — the period when the Sun is fully covered — will last up to about 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

The path of totality is a narrow band: eastern Greenland, western Iceland, the northern half of Spain, and the northeastern corner of Portugal.

Outside that narrow path, a much wider area — most of Europe, parts of North Africa, and northeastern North America — will see a partial eclipse instead.

According to international sources, the eclipse reaches its maximum at approximately 17:46 UTC.

Totality begins in Greenland at around 16:58 UTC and ends in Spain at around 18:34 UTC. In western Spain, totality begins near 18:27 UTC (around 8:27pm local time) and can last up to 110 seconds depending on the exact location.

According to Turkey's official science calendar (TÜBİTAK), the total solar eclipse will not be observable from Turkey — the country is not within the path of totality or a significant partial-eclipse zone at the relevant hours.

Some local reports mention a very limited, low-on-the-horizon partial view might be possible from Turkey's westernmost cities, such as Istanbul and Izmir, around sunset, but this has not been officially confirmed. Ankara and the rest of the country will see no part of the eclipse.