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The path of totality for the total solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, will not cross North America, but Americans still have two big reasons to care about this date: a partial solar eclipse will be visible from parts of the US and Canada, and the same night also brings the annual peak of the Perseid meteor shower. For sky watchers in parts of North America, it could be one of the best astronomical double stars of the year, with a solar eclipse followed by the best shooting star display of the year.
In this set of eight photos, the moon passes by the sun as a whole and moves away again during a total solar eclipse in Bloomington, Indiana, on April 8, 2024. This year’s path is 115 miles (185 kilometers) wide and home to nearly 32 million Americans, with an additional 1500 million l. The next total solar eclipse visible from much of the North America won’t happen until 2044. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
A total solar eclipse will be seen from a total path 180 miles wide across eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, where the moon’s shadow will touch Earth. In these places, the day will briefly become twilight and, in clear skies, the sun’s corona will be visible around the moon for up to 2 minutes and 18 seconds.
Unlike the “Great American Eclipse” of April 8, 2024, no part of North America will experience totality on August 12, when only the moons indistinct shadow will be affected. However, millions of people in eastern Canada and the northeastern US will still see the moon take a visible bite from the sun.
Eclipse glasses that comply with ISO 12312-2 should be used whenever you look directly at the sun. Binoculars, cameras and telescopes also need safe front-mounted solar filters.
A total solar eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth about every 16 months, but in any one place they are very rare, often returning only once every few centuries.
The solar eclipse of August 12, 2026, showing the path of totality (yellow) and the larger area of the partial eclipse, which includes parts of North America. Map by eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler at EclipseAtlas.com.
Michael Zeiler/EclipseAtlas.com
2026 SOLAR ECLIPSE: WHAT AMERICANS WILL SEE
In the US, the further northeast you are, the more partial eclipse you will see. Maine gets the deepest eclipse in the contiguous US, with Presque Isle seeing about 28% of the sun covered at 1:50 p.m. EDT and Bangor seeing about 23% at 1:53 p.m. EDT. Meanwhile, Boston will see about 16% at 1:55 p.m. EDT, while New York City will see about 10% at 1:54 p.m. EDT. Alaska arguably has the best view in the US, with Fairbanks seeing about 37% of the sun covered at 8:27 AM. AKDT.
2026 SOLAR ECLIPSE: WHAT CANADIANS WILL SEE
The largest partial eclipse in North America will be seen from far northern Canada, with Iqaluit in Nunavut seeing about 61% of the sun blocked by the moon at 1:24 p.m. EDT. In even more remote parts of Nunavut near Greenland, the eclipse will be much deeper. Atlantic Canada also has amazing views. The St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, will see about 53% of the sun covered at 3:34 p.m. NDT, while Halifax, Nova Scotia, receives about 31% at 3:00 p.m. ADT.
SOLAR ECLIPSE 2026: WHY IT WON’T KILL
A partial solar eclipse isn’t a watered-down version of totality — it’s an entirely different experience. Even when a large part of the sun is covered, the remaining sunlight is still bright. In the northeastern US, daylight will not fade noticeably and the sun will never be safe to view without protection. During this event in North America, there is no time when it will be safe to look at the sun with the naked eye. Since it occurs in daylight, light pollution will have zero effect on the solar eclipse. However, considering what happens later that night, it might be wise to camp under as dark a sky as possible.
SOLAR ECLIPSE 2026: THE PERSEIDS METER FERRUM PEAKS
August 12 offers a rare opportunity to watch a solar eclipse in the afternoon and then see meteors after midnight as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak under a moonless night sky. Good choices in the northeastern US include Acadia National Park in Maine, Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania, and the Adirondacks in New York, while Canada’s more obscure locations include Fundy National Park, Kejimkujik National Park, and Gros Morne National Park.
SOLAR ECLIPSE 2026: HISTORY
A total solar eclipse is only possible because the sun is about 400 times larger than the moon, but also about 400 times farther away, making them appear the same size in the sky. Solar and lunar eclipses occur because the Moon’s orbit is tilted by about five degrees relative to Earth’s orbital plane. Most months, the moon passes above or below the sun from our point of view. Only when the new moon crosses one of its orbital nodes can a solar eclipse occur. However, where you are on the planet greatly affects your view. This time, North America will miss out on totality, but for anyone still wearing eclipse glasses from the continent’s major solar eclipses in 2017, 2023 and 2024, August 12 deserves a spot on the calendar.
