Total Solar Eclipse Visible in Eastern Greenland, Western Iceland and Northern Spain on 12 August 2026

Western Europe's first total solar eclipse since 1999 will occur on 12 August 2026 with totality visible in eastern Greenland western Iceland and northern Spain New Scientist reported. The moon will cover the sun's disc allowing the solar corona to become visible during the brief period of darkness.

Solar and atmospheric scientists will conduct observations from the ground and from high altitudes.

Balloon campaigns from US, European and Icelandic teams will carry instruments into the stratosphere over Spain and Iceland. Balloons released in Spain will reach altitudes of 27 to 37 kilometres carrying 360-degree cameras ozone instruments and radio experiments. Icelandic teams will launch balloons carrying radiosondes to monitor pressure temperature humidity and other atmospheric parameters.

High-altitude aircraft from NASA and European agencies will fly missions to study the corona. The Citizen CATE experiment funded by the US National Science Foundation and NASA will repeat its 2024 effort by using telescopes along the path of totality to create a timelapse of the corona.

“Research groups that have novel ideas can go to an eclipse and take observations without having to bid for tens of millions of pounds’ worth of grants from NASA or the European Space Agency – the barrier to entry is much lower” solar physicist Ryan French at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder Colorado said.

NASA scientist Liz MacDonald founder of the citizen science project Aurorasaurus will use all-sky cameras in Iceland to search for faint auroral glow during totality. The experiments aim to measure effects on the planetary boundary layer and to collect spectra that reveal the speed temperature and density of plasma in the corona.