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1 week to go until a dramatic total solar eclipse darkens the skies over Spain, Iceland and Greenland

The sun's atmosphere shines around the lunar disk during the climax of a total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Get ready stargazers! We're just one week away from the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, when millions of stargazers will be treated to a spectacular display as the lunar disk passes in front of the sun, blocking its light.Roughly 15.2 million people spread across Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, Russia and Spain will be in the path of totality during the total solar eclipse 2026, where the moon will completely hide the sun's disk starting at 12:58 p.m. EDT (1658 GMT), according to Time and Date.A further 980 million people — approximately 12% of Earth's human population — will bear witness to a partial eclipse, as the lunar disk appears to takes a bite out of the sun.Solar eclipses occur during the monthly new moon phase, when the lunar disk passes directly between the sun and Earth in its slightly lopsided orbit, casting its colossal shadow over a swathe of our planet's surface.Viewers in the U.K. and several European countries will see an impressive partial solar eclipse, with around 90% of the sun's surface occulted by the moon as it sinks low on the western horizon. Several northeastern U.S. states, including New York, Maine and Pennsylvania, that sit farther from the path of totality will witness the lunar disk take a small "bite" out of the sun.You can find out exactly what percentage of the sun will be occulted by the moon using Time and Date's interactive eclipse tracker. Remember, staring directly at the sun during the partial phases of an eclipse can cause permanent vision loss. Be sure to read our guide to safely viewing a solar eclipse, along with our picks of the best solar viewing gear for the 2026 eclipse to ensure that you're ready to enjoy the event.We will also be bringing you the latest eclipse news and updates from our reporters in the field with our dedicated eclipse live blog. Skywatching Editor Daisy Dobrijevic is on an eclipse expedition to Greenland with HX Expeditions and Skywatching Writer Anthony Wood is heading to Spain shortly to experience the eclipse with NASA's DEB initiative and citizen scientists.If the eclipse isn't visible from your location, there's no need to worry. You can watch each stage of the total solar eclipse unfold in real time from the comfort of your home. Details of livestreams will be released closer to the time.

1 week to go until a dramatic total solar eclipse darkens the skies over Spain, Iceland and Greenland

The sun's atmosphere shines around the lunar disk during the climax of a total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

When a total solar eclipse darkens the sky on Aug. 12, these citizen scientists will be watching

A composite photo showing the sun disappearing behind and emerging from the back of the back of the moon around totality. (Image credit: Photo by: Alan Dyer/VW Pics/UIG via Getty Images)

Meet the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative — a passion-driven citizen science endeavour that shares breathtaking views of total solar eclipses while capturing valuable data on the sun's incandescent atmosphere.At the heart of our solar system is a burning ball of superheated gas 100 times the width of Earth, with a thermonuclear reaction raging at its core. Its radiation and gravity hold the planets in their orbit and allow for the existence of life on our Blue Marble.Yet despite centuries of scientific scrutiny, many mysteries remain as to the inner workings of our sun and the influence it extends out into the solar system.What is the DEB Initiative?One effort to unravel the mysteries and share the beauty of our parent star is being undertaken by the DEB. A network of volunteer solar observers coordinated and guided by professional astronomers from Southern Illinois University Carbondale that's partly funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation."We came up with a setup that's portable, that's relatively cheap," Associate Scientist Bob Baer of the Southern Illinois University Carbondale and co-principle investigator of the DEB Initiative explained to Space.com in an interview. "They're about $1,800 once you factor in everything, like the computer, the mount, the telescope, the camera."During the great American Eclipse of 2024, the DEB had over 80 teams equipped with identical telescopes arrayed across a path of totality that cut through the contiguous United States. Having trained for months, their duty was to keep vigil on the climactic phase of totality, as the moon's silhouette covered the face of our parent star to reveal the sun's golden corona reaching out into the false twilight.

The sun's corona shines from behind the lunar disk at totality during the 2024 eclipse. (Image credit: Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)Telescope footage was uploaded in near-real time and included in livestreams that brought the beauty of the eclipse directly to the public no matter where they were — an impressive effort that saw numerous members of the team receive Emmy Awards for their coverage.Some of the volunteers are also the authors of a scientific paper set to be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters that tracked the structure and dynamics of the sun's inner atmosphere, or corona, from 11 DEB locations over 49 minutes of evolution.Outside of eclipses, volunteers also use their telescopes to track asteroids, solar vibrations and powerful flares that blast from the surface of the sun. They even collect data on exoplanet transits, as distant worlds pass between our planet and their parent stars, creating periodic dips in their light.Having so many volunteers in different places enables a much wider range of data to be collected. "It's the network of telescopes that is the strength of the project," explained Baer. "It's not just one scope."Is the DEB watching over the 2026 eclipse?A spectacular total solar eclipse will take place on Aug. 12, as the moon's vast silhouette passes across the solar disk, completely blocking its light across a 182-mile-wide (293-kilometer) swathe of Greenland, Iceland and Spain during the climactic phase of totality.The DEB will have two teams on hand in the path of totality to observe the eclipse. One will set up in the northwestern Spanish city of Leon, while a second team — led by citizen scientist Charles Greenwald and shadowed by myself — will find the high ground in the Castilian village of Valoria la Buena, 93 miles (150 kilometers) to the southeast.My conversations with Greenwald have underscored how important passion is to maintaining an initiative like the DEB. The past eight months have seen him travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, multiple times to prepare his team for their expedition to Spain, whi

13 amazing things to see during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12

Mainland Europe will see its first total solar eclipse for 27 years on Aug. 12, 2026. (Image credit: Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)

Mention that a total solar eclipse is coming, and almost nobody will say, "Wow, we get to see the solar corona!" That's despite the sun's tenuous outer atmosphere being the number one sight during totality — a genuine jaw-dropper.Instead, the focus on social media is always on the darkness during the day, arguably the least interesting — but easiest to grasp — aspect of a total solar eclipse. It's no wonder that many people misunderstand and underestimate them, and think of eclipse chasers as a little odd.But that's not the half of it. There are dozens of things to see and experience during a total solar eclipse, so many that we've put together a checklist of things to see as you're swallowed by the moon's shadow. Here's what you may experience during the solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, roughly in the order they occur from first contact — when the moon begins to eclipse the sun — to fourth contact, when it departs.1. Sunspots

Look for sunspots during the partial phases. (Image credit: Stan Honda / AFP) (Photo by STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images)Here's one everyone in both the partial and total eclipse zones can see on Aug. 12, 2026. As the moon's silhouette moves across the sun, look through your ISO-certified safe solar eclipse glasses/solar filters. With luck, you'll see the edge of the moon move across dark spots on the solar surface. These are sunspots, cool patches where the sun's magnetic field is concentrated and complex. They're where solar flares come from.2. Planets

Venus is below the eclipse in this image from April 8, 2024. (Image credit: Photo by: Alan Dyer/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images))You'll often hear someone shout, "There's Venus!" during the totality phase of a total solar eclipse, to which your response should rightly be: "Who cares?" as you focus on the much rarer sight of the solar corona. The correct time to look for planets is about 15 minutes before totality, when — on Aug. 12, 2026 — Jupiter will appear about 11 degrees west-northwest, with tiny Mercury about 4 degrees beyond. Venus will be much farther away, about 46° east-southeast of the sun, but easy to see. Mars will be low in the west, but much more difficult to see.3. Crescent-shaped shadows

Use a colander to create projections of crescent suns. (Image credit: Andrew Holt via Getty Images)Here's another one everyone can look out for during a deep partial solar eclipse. When over 50% of the sun is eclipsed, crescent-shaped shadows begin to appear on the ground beneath trees. It's sunlight passing through tiny gaps, which act like the aperture control on a camera. The best way to see them is to grab a colander or spaghetti spoon — or anything with small, defined holes. Failing that, cross your fingers in a waffle pattern and you'll project diffuse crescents.4. Shadow bands

Shadow bands seconds after totality, 2 July, 2019 019 total solar eclipse in Vicuna, Chile - YouTube

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Here's one for eclipse chasers in Spain. About two minutes before and after totality, it's sometimes possible to see wavy lines on white surfaces. It's the reduced light from the crescent sun being refracted by atmospheric turbulence, and, for some reason, it's much more noticeable when the eclipse is low in the sky — as it will be from Spain. They're called shadow bands or "shadow snakes". Pack as large a white sheet as you can (or borrow one from your bemused hotel).5. Plunging light and heat

The light levels suddenly plummet just prior to totality. (Image credit: Photo by Dimitrios Manis/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)As the partial eclipse reaches about 80%, you'll begin to notice it getting cooler. By the time it's just seconds before totality, it will be chilly as the light levels around you crash like nothing else you have experienced. "Darkness in the day" does not do it justice — it's as if the world

Column | A new subscription model could make rooftop solar as easy as Netflix

1 week to go until a dramatic total solar eclipse darkens the skies over Spain, Iceland and Greenland

1 week to go until a dramatic total solar eclipse darkens the skies over Spain, Iceland and Greenland

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When a total solar eclipse darkens the sky on Aug. 12, these citizen scientists will be watching

13 amazing things to see during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12

A solar eclipse is coming to Europe this summer