The latest solar eclipse is coming up on Aug. 12, so grab your old eclipse glasses from 2024 out of the drawer to sneak a peek at the sky.
A total solar eclipse will be visible in Spain, Iceland, Greenland and Siberia. That said, individuals outside the path of totality will also be able to witness some of the cosmic event: A partial solar eclipse will be visible in the northern parts of the U.S.
“There’s nothing like a total eclipse,” Stephanie Abrams, an on-air meteorologist for The Weather Channel, tells TODAY.com.
“It goes fully dark, you can hear animals, and you can feel the temperature drop. You remember we’re on an Earth flying through the universe with the sun 93 million miles away and the moon a perfect size that when it goes in between, it causes so much beauty.”
Here’s what to know about how to see the solar eclipse, including a list of states where it’ll be visible.
Watch as the total solar eclipse reaches totality in Dallas, Texas.
What makes the 2026 solar eclipse special?
While the U.S. will only experience a partial eclipse, it’s different for Europe.
“This one is special because in mainland Spain, they have not seen a total eclipse since the early 1900s,” Abrams says.
The last time Spain experienced a total solar eclipse was in 1905, and this one will be quick.
Abrams says totality — when the sun is completely blocked from view — will only last for about a minute. This one will also be occurring around sunset, so it won’t be way up in the sky like when it occurs later in the day.
Where to see today’s solar eclipse
Colored stripes on the map below show areas that will see at least a partial solar eclipse today. The lighter the stripe, the less the sun will be obscured during the eclipse. No part of the U.S. will see a total eclipse today.
Where is the total solar eclipse visible?
The 2026 total solar eclipse’s path starts in Siberia and ends in Spain. NASA has a graphic showing the exact path of totality across the world.
“Totality begins along the northern coast of Siberia, and moves toward the North Pole, then moves southward down the eastern coast of Greenland, past the western coast of Iceland, and across the Atlantic to Northern Spain just before sunset. Totality comes to an end in the western Mediterranean as the sun sets,” astronomer Catherine Pilachowski tells TODAY.com.
What time is the partial solar eclipse occurring in the U.S.?
The partial eclipse will only be visible from some northern and Northeastern states in the U.S. in the early afternoon.
The partial eclipse begins around 11:34 a.m. ET, with the peak coverage of the sun by the moon at 12:52 p.m. ET.
The partial eclipse will end around 2:52 p.m. ET, University of Indiana astronomy professor Catherine Pilachowski tells TODAY.com.
Which states will be able to see the partial solar eclipse?
The partial solar eclipse will be visible across the north and Northeastern states. Rule of thumb: The further north you are, the more of the sun will be covered by the moon.
“The sun will be covered by about 37% in Alaska, but only about 10% in New York. Folks in northern Indiana will see a very skimpy partial eclipse, while we in Bloomington will not see the eclipse at all,” Pilachowski says.
According to TimeAndDate, the following states will be able to see the effects of the eclipse, plus Washington, D.C.
- Alaska
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Do you still need special glasses to view a partial eclipse?
Yes, you should be wearing protective glasses to watch any type of eclipse, even if you can still see a sliver of the sun.
“As always, people should never look at a partial eclipse without eye protection, not even briefly,” Pilachowski says. “Dig out those old solar viewers from 2024, or watch it indirectly, without looking at the sun directly. Looking at the sun without adequate eye protection is likely to cause eye damage — even permanently damaging your vision.”
If you don’t have protective glasses handy, we have four other ways you can safely watch the eclipse, from DIY glasses to pinhole projectors.
Shallow cumulus clouds tend to disappear early on in a solar eclipse. Scientists think they now know why.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
Published Date : 2026-08-12 10:13:00
Source : www.nbcwashington.com
