- The total solar eclipse of 12 August 2026 reaches its greatest phase at 17:46 UTC.
- Its magnitude is 1.039 and the total phase lasts up to 2 min 18 s.
- It is visible from northern North America, western Africa, Europe.
- The total phase is seen from the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Spain.
- From Vilnius it is partly visible, with the local maximum at 20:53 Vilnius time.
- The eclipse belongs to Saros series 126.
What time is the eclipse?
The moment of greatest eclipse is the same everywhere on Earth; only the clock time differs. At a given place the local maximum of a solar eclipse can differ from it by up to a couple of hours, because the Moon’s shadow travels across the Earth.
| Time zone | Greatest eclipse |
|---|---|
| UTC (Universal Time) | 17:46 |
| Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki | 20:46 |
| Moscow | 20:46 |
| London | 18:46 |
| New York | 13:46 |
Where is the eclipse visible?
The eclipse was visible from northern North America, western Africa, Europe. The total phase was seen only from a narrow path across the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Spain; everywhere else in the area the eclipse was partial.
Is it visible from Europe and the Baltic states?
The eclipse is visible from Europe. From Vilnius the eclipse is seen as partial: at the local maximum, at 20:53 Vilnius time, the Moon covers 80% of the Sun’s diameter (magnitude 0.797). The Sun sets within minutes of the maximum, so the eclipse is watched low over the north-western horizon.
How to watch it safely
Outside the path of totality, and before and after totality inside it, the Sun must be watched only through eclipse glasses or a solar filter that meets ISO 12312-2. Only during the brief total phase, when the Moon covers the Sun completely, can the corona be looked at without a filter.
The Saros series
This eclipse belongs to Saros series 126. Eclipses of one series repeat every 18 years, 11 days and 8 hours, and each one falls about a third of the way around the globe to the west of the previous one.
All eclipses of 2026
| Date | Eclipse | Greatest eclipse (UTC) | From Europe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 February 2026 | Annular solar eclipse | 12:12 | not visible |
| 3 March 2026 | Total lunar eclipse | 11:34 | not visible |
| 12 August 2026 | Total solar eclipse | 17:46 | visible |
| 28 August 2026 | Partial lunar eclipse | 04:13 | visible |
Questions people ask
What time is the total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026?
Greatest eclipse is at 17:46 UTC, which is 18:46 in London and 13:46 in New York.
Where is it visible?
It is visible from northern North America, western Africa, Europe. The total phase is seen from the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Spain.
Can it be seen from Lithuania?
From Vilnius the eclipse is seen as partial: at the local maximum, at 20:53 Vilnius time, the Moon covers 80% of the Sun’s diameter (magnitude 0.797). The Sun sets within minutes of the maximum, so the eclipse is watched low over the north-western horizon.
How long does it last?
The total phase lasts up to 2 min 18 s on the central line. The partial phases before and after it last about an hour each.
Is it safe to look at it?
Only through eclipse glasses or a solar filter that meets ISO 12312-2. Sunglasses are not safe. A total eclipse can be watched without a filter only during the brief total phase.
When is the next total solar eclipse?
The next total solar eclipse is on 2 August 2027, visible from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, western and southern Asia.
- Fred Espenak, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center: Solar Eclipses 2021–2030 and Lunar Eclipses 2021–2030 (eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov).
- Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd ed., 1998.
- American Astronomical Society: How to view a solar eclipse safely; ISO 12312-2 filters for direct observation of the Sun.
- timeanddate.com: local circumstances of eclipses for Vilnius.
Dates, types, magnitudes and durations are taken from the NASA eclipse tables and checked row by row. NASA gives the time of greatest eclipse in Terrestrial Dynamical Time; this page converts it to UTC and shows it to the minute. The countdown is recalculated every day.