Total Solar Eclipse Set for August 12 Across Greenland Iceland and Spain

A total solar eclipse will occur on August 12 at approximately 11:34 a.m. ET, Usa Today reported. The path of totality will cross Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain, a part of Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.

Areas of the United States from Alaska to North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse on the same day. Canada, Europe and northwestern Africa will also see the partial event. The moon will cover only a small portion of the sun from those locations, appearing as a bite taken out of the sun.

The Perseid meteor shower will peak the night after the eclipse during the new moon. NASA states the Perseid meteor shower is considered the best meteor shower of the year. A total solar eclipse occurs approximately once every 18 months, with the most recent prior event on April 8, 2024.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and Earth and casts a shadow that blocks the sun's face. The period when the sun is completely blocked is called totality. Totality will not occur anywhere in the United States on August 12.

The following states will be able to see the partial solar eclipse: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Viewers must use eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers that comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. The American Astronomical Society states there is no way to verify compliance without laboratory testing by an approved accrediting body.