Track the 2026 Solar Eclipse Hour-by-Hour as Totality Sweeps Across Europe

The Moon is set to pass between Earth and the Sun today, completely obscuring the Sun along a path through northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and a small portion of Portugal. In addition to these areas, most of Canada, parts of the northern United States, much of Europe, and northwestern Africa will witness a partial solar eclipse.

A livestream from the Royal Observatory Greenwich will provide visibility of the partial eclipse from London, commencing at 12:10 p.m. CT. The Moon is predicted to begin covering the Sun in London at 12:17 p.m. CT, reaching its maximum coverage at 1:12 p.m. CT, when approximately 90 percent of the Sun will be obscured. The eclipse in London is expected to conclude at 2:06 p.m. CT.

The path of totality, where the Moon covers the entire solar disk for up to two minutes and eighteen seconds, is anticipated to traverse central and western Europe for the first time since 1999, according to the observatory. This marks a rare celestial event for the region. People within the path of totality will observe the Moon covering the entire Sun, whereas those outside it will only see a partial coverage.

At the moment of totality, the Moon obscures the Sun's visible surface, exposing its outer atmosphere known as the corona. The visible surface of the Sun is dimmed for a brief period as daylight fades and reappears as the Moon continues its movement. The National Solar Observatory notes that a total solar eclipse typically passes over the same location approximately once every 400 years, on average.