August 12, 2026 solar eclipse will be visible as a partial event across much of the United States
A total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026 will be observable only in parts of Europe and the Arctic, while a partial eclipse will be visible across the northern United States, NASA says.
A total solar eclipse is set for Aug. 12, 2026, with the path of totality crossing Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, a small portion of Portugal and northern Russia, according to NASA. The United States will not lie within this narrow band, but many locations from Alaska to North Carolina will experience a partial eclipse, where the moon obscures a portion of the sun's disk.
NASA explains that observers inside the totality path will see daylight turn dark as the moon completely covers the sun, while those outside will see a “bite” taken out of the sun. The agency advises anyone viewing the partial eclipse to use certified solar eclipse glasses or handheld viewers that meet the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, noting that regular sunglasses do not provide adequate protection.
The last total solar eclipse visible from the United States occurred on April 8, 2024, and the next one will be over Alaska on March 30, 2033. A total eclipse across the contiguous United States is projected for Aug. 23, 2044, followed by a coast-to-coast event on Aug. 12, 2045.