On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse is expected to cross northern Spain and Mallorca, followed after dark by the annual Perseid meteor shower. The eclipse’s path will stretch from the Arctic across Greenland, Iceland and the North Atlantic before reaching the Iberian Peninsula. The Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) places areas of Galicia, Asturias, Castilla y León, the Basque Country, Aragón, the Comunitat Valenciana and Mallorca within Spain’s totality corridor. The event comes late in the day: in Spain, the eclipsed Sun will sit low above the western horizon.
In cities including A Coruña, Oviedo, León, Bilbao, Zaragoza, València and Palma, observers are expected to see totality, though its duration will vary by location. In A Coruña, the partial eclipse is scheduled to begin at about 19:31 local time, reach its maximum at 20:28 and end around 21:22, with roughly 76 seconds of totality. Approximate totality times are 20:28 in León, 20:29 in Zaragoza and 20:32 in València. The eclipse’s maximum basic duration worldwide is about 2 minutes 18 seconds. Viewers at Spanish locations will not all experience that full duration.
The Moon’s umbral shadow will trace a narrow path across Earth, rather than darkening an entire region. Southern Spain and the Canary Islands will see a partial eclipse, as will much of Europe, including the United Kingdom and Ireland. Some UK locations are forecast to see more than 90% of the solar disc covered, but that is not totality. Full darkness and a view of the solar corona occur only inside the basic path, when the Moon completely covers the Sun.
The low Sun will make viewing conditions especially sensitive to the western horizon. Hills, buildings, haze or coastal cloud could obstruct the view, particularly in basic and eastern Spain, where totality is expected late in the day. The Sun remains dangerous to view directly during the partial phases, even near sunset. Use purpose-made certified solar viewers whenever any part of the bright solar disc is visible. Ordinary sunglasses, smoked glass and photographic filters are not substitutes. Viewers may be removed only during totality, while the Sun is completely covered, and must be put back on before totality ends. A colander or tea strainer can project an image of the Sun onto a surface, provided observers look at the projected image and never at the Sun through the object.
After sunset, attention will turn to the Perseids, which generally peak around August 12 and 13. Under favorable dark-sky conditions, the shower can produce up to about 100 meteors an hour, although actual rates vary with location, weather and viewing conditions. The 2026 peak is expected near the new Moon, reducing moonlight and improving the chances of seeing faint meteors once the sky is dark. The meteor shower will not be at its best during the daylight eclipse; observers will need to wait for darkness.
The Perseids are an annual shower caused as Earth passes through debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle. Meteors can appear across a broad area of sky, so binoculars and telescopes are unnecessary. A dark location away from streetlights and an unobstructed view of the sky can help; give your eyes time to adjust and avoid bright phone screens to preserve night vision. Local cloud cover and atmospheric conditions will also affect visibility.
The two events offer different observing experiences: a brief period of totality in the afternoon or evening, followed hours later by a meteor shower best watched under dark skies. The eclipse’s global maximum path width is roughly 294 kilometres, but the width and maximum duration describe the eclipse as a whole, not conditions at every viewing site. For UK observers, the high percentage of solar coverage will still be partial, while the totality corridor reaches northern Spain and Mallorca.
Interest in astronomical events has grown in recent years, with residents and visitors planning trips to areas within the path of totality. Northern Spain and Mallorca are likely to draw people seeking a clear view, making advance planning impressive. Choose a site with an open western horizon and later access to a dark sky. Pamplona’s San Fermín festival will also return in August with expanded TV coverage, as detailed in this report on the upcoming bull runs.
Those planning to observe should check local weather forecasts and choose a safe viewing location, using certified solar viewers for every partial phase. After the eclipse, a dark site away from artificial light will offer better conditions for meteor watching. Together, the eclipse and the Perseids make August 12 a distinctive date for skywatchers in Spain and across Europe.
Photos and observations of the solar eclipse or Perseids can be sent to contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com.
