NASA sets coverage for Aug. 12 total solar eclipse

Two weeks from now, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the North Atlantic and northern Spain, marking the first time mainland Spain has experienced totality since 1905. The August 12 event will also deliver a deep partial eclipse across much of Europe and parts of northeastern North America, coinciding with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower and a six-planet parade in a rare celestial triple feature.

Path of Totality and Viewing Details

The moon's shadow will trace a path from northern Russia across the Arctic, through eastern Greenland and western Iceland, before crossing the Atlantic to strike northern Spain and a small corner of Portugal. Totality will last up to 2 minutes and 18 seconds at its maximum point, located just off Iceland's western coast. In Spain, totality will begin around 8:28 p.m. local time in León and reach Valencia by 8:32 p.m., occurring dramatically low on the western horizon just before sunset.nasa+3

NASA announced it will livestream the eclipse beginning at 1:15 p.m. ET, with totality starting over Iceland at 1:45 p.m. ET and Spain at 2:28 p.m. ET. The agency is also deploying a WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft to study the sun's corona and supporting university students launching scientific balloons in Iceland and Spain. The European Space Agency is using the event to test computer models of the sun's magnetic environment against reality.esa+1

Observers in London will see roughly 91% of the sun covered, while parts of Cornwall and southwest Wales could see up to 95% coverage — the most since the 1999 total eclipse over Britain. In the United States, partial coverage will range from about 37% in Fairbanks, Alaska, to single digits in cities like New York and Washington, D.C..science.nasa+2

Tourism Surge and Wildfire Threat

The eclipse has driven a tourism boom, with flight and hotel packages to Spain rising 69% year-over-year and bookings to Iceland up 76%, according to online travel agency eSky. Amadeus data shows flight bookings to both countries up 25% for August 2026. Hotel bookings in smaller Spanish cities along the totality path have surged 383%.forbes+2

However, wildfires raging across central Spain threaten to disrupt the viewing experience. A fire in Ávila province has burned more than 50,000 hectares since July 22 — described by Spain's minister of ecological transition as the "largest forest fire in our country's recent history" — while another in Guadalajara has devastated over 32,000 hectares. AccuWeather senior meteorologist Jason Nicholls told TIME he does not "see a lot of significant rain coming into Spain over the next two weeks," warning that wildfire risk will remain extreme through eclipse day.time

A Triple Feature for Skywatchers

August 12 offers more than just an eclipse. The Perseid meteor shower will peak that same night under new moon conditions, with expected rates of 50 to 100 meteors per hour. The Perseus constellation, from which the meteors appear to originate, sits near Mars and Uranus in the sky, allowing viewers to watch both the meteor shower and a six-planet parade simultaneously. The parade includes Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune, visible in the predawn hours from August 12 through roughly August 17.cnet+2

"Three prominent celestial events happening in one 24-hour span are pretty rare," CNET noted, "so if you're up for it, it's a great day to look up."cnet