Solar eclipse on Aug. 12 will be total in parts of Europe and partial across North America

A solar eclipse on Wednesday, Aug. 12, will be observable across Europe, North America and parts of North Africa, but the type of eclipse will differ by location. A 180-mile (290 km) wide path of totality stretches from eastern Greenland through western Iceland to northeastern Spain, where the moon will completely cover the sun for up to two minutes. Outside this corridor, observers will see a deep partial eclipse.

In the totality zone, the eclipse will reach its maximum at 4:35 p.m. local time in Scoresby Sund, Greenland (lasting 2 min 17 s), 5:48 p.m. in Reykjavik, Iceland (1 min), and around 8:30 p.m. in several Spanish locations, with totality lasting between 1 min 36 s and 1 min 45 s. The sky will darken to twilight, stars and planets may become visible, and the solar corona will be exposed.

North America will experience only a partial eclipse. The deepest coverage, about 61 percent, will occur in Iqaluit, Nunavut at 1:24 p.m. EDT, while locations such as New York will see less than 10 percent obscuration. The partial phases will span roughly two hours, and eclipse glasses are required throughout.

Most of Europe and northwestern Africa will see a deep partial eclipse, with many western cities experiencing over 90 percent coverage. Madrid will see a 99.9 percent eclipse at 8:32 p.m. CEST, while London will have 91 percent coverage at 7:13 p.m. BST.

Officials and experts stress the importance of using certified solar eclipse glasses during all partial phases; only during totality is it safe to look at the sun without protection. Live streams from space agencies will be available for those outside the path of totality. An interactive map allows users to enter their location for precise timing of the eclipse’s start, peak and end.