Today’s the Day: 2026’s Only Total Solar Eclipse Crosses Europe — Here’s When to Look Up in the US
The moon’s shadow begins racing across the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain today, Wednesday, August 12, in 2026’s only total solar eclipse — mainland Europe’s first since 1999. While the U.S. won’t see totality, a partial eclipse will be visible across 26 northern states, and NASA’s live coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET.
The Path of Totality, Minute by Minute
Totality begins at 15:34 GMT (11:34 a.m. ET) over the Arctic and moves toward the North Pole before sweeping southward, according to Al Jazeera’s eclipse tracker. According to CBS News, the total eclipse first becomes visible in extreme northern Russia at 1 p.m. ET, reaching northeast Greenland by 1:30 p.m. ET and western Iceland by roughly 1:45 p.m. ET, where totality hits Reykjavik at exactly 5:48 p.m. local time. The shadow then crosses the northern Atlantic before reaching northern Spain just before sunset, with totality ending in the western Mediterranean as the sun sets there.
Maximum eclipse — the point of greatest totality — occurs at 17:47:06 UTC, lasting up to 2 minutes and 18 seconds at its longest point, according to Wikipedia’s eclipse data. About 15 million people, mostly in Spain, live within the actual path of totality, according to Al Jazeera. Most major European cities, including Madrid, London, and Paris, will see at least 90% coverage of the sun even without full totality.
What Americans Will Actually See
There is no totality anywhere in the United States during today’s eclipse — the moon’s dark central shadow, or umbra, misses North America entirely. Instead, only the outer penumbral shadow sweeps across the northern edge of the continent, producing a partial eclipse visible from 26 northern states, according to Zendar Universe’s state-by-state breakdown, stretching from Alaska through the northern plains, the Great Lakes, and into New England.
Timing varies significantly by region. According to TODAY.com, the partial eclipse begins around 11:34 a.m. ET for U.S. viewers, with peak coverage around 12:52 p.m. ET. CBS News offers city-specific peak times: Toronto sees its fullest point at 1:40 p.m. local time, and New York City at 1:54 p.m. Alaska, meanwhile, catches the eclipse during the morning — Fairbanks reaches maximum coverage around 8:27 a.m. AKDT, offering the deepest partial coverage of anywhere in the country, according to Zendar Universe.
For most of the northeastern U.S. beyond these peak-viewing cities, only a small “bite” out of the sun will be visible, according to Space.com — a modest showing compared to the dramatic totality millions experienced during 2024’s coast-to-coast “Great American Eclipse.”
Watching Safely
Because no location in the U.S. will experience totality, there is no moment during this eclipse when it’s safe to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection — unlike a total eclipse, where a brief window of totality allows naked-eye viewing. NASA recommends using certified eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer for the entire duration of viewing; if you don’t have either, a simple pinhole projector can safely show the eclipse’s progress indirectly.
How to Watch Even If You’re Not in the Path
For those outside the visibility zone entirely, or hoping to see totality itself rather than a partial eclipse, CBS News is streaming live coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET, featuring meteorologist Rob Marciano reporting live from Mallorca, Spain, where totality arrives around 2:30 p.m. ET.
Why This Eclipse Is Extra Dramatic
This eclipse carries an added visual punch tied to its timing relative to the moon’s orbit. Because the eclipse occurs about 2.2 days after the moon reached perigee — its closest point to Earth — on August 10, the moon’s apparent size in the sky is slightly larger than average, according to Wikipedia’s technical eclipse data, contributing to the eclipse’s relatively high magnitude of 1.0386, a measure of how completely the moon covers the sun.
Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams described the broader experience of witnessing totality to TODAY.com: “There’s nothing like a total eclipse. It goes fully dark, you can hear animals, and you can feel the temperature drop.” She added, “You remember we’re on an Earth flying through the universe with the sun 93 million miles away and the moon a perfect size that when it goes in between, it causes so much beauty.”
When the Next Ones Happen
For Americans disappointed by today’s partial-only showing, the wait for another true U.S. total eclipse is a long one. According to CBS News, the next total solar eclipse over the U.S. won’t occur until 2044, and even that one will only be visible from three states: Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. A far more widely visible U.S. eclipse follows the year after, in 2045, moving in an arc from Northern California to Florida — similar in scope to 2017’s coast-to-coast eclipse — with cities including Reno, Colorado Springs, Tulsa, Little Rock, Jackson, and Orlando all falling within that future path of totality.
Globally, the next total solar eclipse arrives sooner: August 2, 2027, crossing Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East, with Luxor, Egypt, set to experience an extraordinary 6 minutes and 20 seconds of totality — the longest eclipse duration possible until the year 2114, according to Zendar Universe.
FAQ
What time does today’s eclipse start and peak in the US? The partial eclipse begins around 11:34 a.m. ET, with peak coverage around 12:52 p.m. ET, though exact timing varies by location — Fairbanks, Alaska sees its peak earlier, around 8:27 a.m. AKDT.
Will anyone in the US see a total eclipse today? No. The path of totality only crosses the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain. No location in the U.S. experiences totality during this eclipse.
Which US states will see a partial eclipse? 26 northern states, stretching from Alaska through the northern plains, the Great Lakes, and into New England.
Do I need eclipse glasses to watch from the US? Yes, for the entire viewing period, since no part of the U.S. experiences totality — meaning it’s never safe to view the eclipse directly without certified eclipse glasses or a solar viewer.
When is the next total solar eclipse visible from the US? 2044, though limited to Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. A more widely visible eclipse, stretching from Northern California to Florida, follows in 2045.
Conclusion
While today’s eclipse won’t deliver the dramatic darkness of totality to American skywatchers, the partial “bite” visible across 26 northern states — paired with live streaming coverage of the real thing from Spain — still offers a meaningful opportunity to witness one of the more reliably awe-inspiring astronomical events. Just remember: with no totality anywhere in the U.S. today, eclipse glasses stay on for the entire show.
Sources: NASA, CBS News, Space.com, Al Jazeera, TODAY.com, Zendar Universe, National Solar Observatory, Wikipedia (reporting current as of August 11-12, 2026).