A total solar eclipse will darken the sky for millions today! Here's what you need to know
The wait is over. Today's total solar eclipse will sweep across Greenland, Iceland and Spain. Here's where to find timings, livestreams, safety advice and live coverage.
Millions of people across Greenland, Iceland, and Spain will be treated to a total solar eclipse on August 12. As the moon completely covers the sun, day will briefly turn into night, with a maximum duration of 2 minutes and 18 seconds of totality for skywatchers in the path of totality. Even if one is not in the direct path, a dramatic partial solar eclipse will be visible across much of Europe, with up to 90% of the sun covered for major cities like London, Paris, and Dublin.
The eclipse's path will unfold over roughly 96 minutes, starting in Greenland in the late afternoon and reaching Spain in the evening, creating the rare sight of a low-horizon sunset eclipse. For those seeking information about the eclipse, accurate timings vary by location, with totality beginning in Reykjavik at 5:48 p.m. GMT, Snæfellsjökull National Park in Iceland at 5:45 p.m. GMT, Gijón in Spain at 8:26 p.m. CEST, A Coruña at 8:27 p.m. CEST, and Mallorca at 8:31 p.m. CEST.
To safely observe the eclipse, appropriate eye protection is crucial. During the partial phases, solar eclipse glasses or a certified solar filter must be worn, and during totality, it's safe to view the eclipse without protection. However, as soon as even a small sliver of the sun reappears, eclipse glasses must be donned again.
In the absence of eclipse glasses, alternative methods for safely observing the eclipse using household items are also available.
Written by urgent.news from Space.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
