NASA says a total solar eclipse will cross Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain, part of Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean on Aug. 12. People in the U.S. will not be in the path of totality, but they will still see a partial solar eclipse from areas stretching from Alaska to North Carolina.
The eclipse reaches totality only along a narrow path, where the sun is completely blocked by the moon. In the U.S., Canada, Europe and northwestern Africa, the view will be partial instead. The eclipse is set for around 11:34 a.m. ET, and the last total solar eclipse was on April 8, 2024.
Greenland and Spain on Aug. 12
The Aug. 12 event is the next total solar eclipse in the calendar. It will pass over Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain, part of Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean, while the rest of Earth sees a different version of the same event.
That difference is practical for viewers. Only people in the path of totality will see the full blockage of the sun. Everyone else in the named regions will see only part of the sun covered.
U.S. viewers get a partial solar eclipse
Areas of the U.S. from Alaska to North Carolina will be able to experience a partial solar eclipse, not totality. The article says Americans would need to travel to the listed locations to see the full event.
For anyone planning to look up from home, the safety rule is straightforward: eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers should meet the ISO 12312-2 standard. The only time it is safe to look at the sun during a solar eclipse is during totality.
Perseid meteor shower after totality
The timing adds one more reason to plan ahead. NASA says the Perseid meteor shower is “considered the best meteor shower of the year,” and it will peak the night after the eclipse during the new moon.
That gives observers a two-night sequence: Aug. 12 for the solar event, then the following night for the meteor shower. For readers inside the partial-view zone, the question is not whether the eclipse happens, but whether they will travel to the path of totality to see it in full.
