The Best Photos of the Big August Solar Eclipse

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August 12, 2026

For the first time in more than a century, Spain witnessed a total solar eclipse. The astronomical phenomenon, which was also partially visible in some regions of northern North America, much of Europe, and western Africa, offered an unusual and particularly photogenic sight due to the sun’s position just above the horizon.

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The solar corona glows as the moon completely obscures the sun during the total solar eclipse on Arenal Beach in Llucmajor, Mallorca.

Photograph: Jaime Reina/Getty Images

The path of totality traversed the northern hemisphere from west to east. Its path began in the Arctic Ocean, north of Greenland, continued west of Iceland, and crossed the North Atlantic. Later, at exactly 8:30 pm central European summer time, the shadow cast by the moon reached the Iberian Peninsula.

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People gathered at El Cerro del Tío Pío Park in Madrid to observe the total solar eclipse.

Photograph: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/Getty Images

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