Total solar eclipse set to cross Europe and northern hemisphere on 12 August
A total solar eclipse on 12 August will cross northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland and the Iberian Peninsula.
Nicosia, Cyprus. A total solar eclipse is expected on Wednesday, 12 August, when it will be visible from parts of Europe and the northern hemisphere. The event will be the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999.
Path of totality
For several minutes, the Moon will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun, completely covering the solar disc for observers within the narrow path of its shadow.
The path of totality will cross northern Russia, Greenland and Iceland before moving across the Atlantic and reaching the Iberian Peninsula. The event is expected to attract thousands of travellers and astronomy enthusiasts to areas within the path.
How eclipses occur
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, casting its shadow over part of the planet’s surface.
During a total eclipse, observers in the right location see the Moon completely cover the bright disc of the Sun. Daylight fades, the sky resembles twilight and the Sun’s corona becomes visible around the darkened Moon.
The phenomenon is possible because the Sun is about 400 times larger in diameter than the Moon but is also around 400 times farther away, making the two appear almost the same size when viewed from Earth.
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