Solar Eclipse Tracker · 2026–2030

Solar eclipse tracker, 2026–2030

A live globe showing exactly where the Moon's shadow falls on the Earth, for every solar eclipse between 2026 and 2030 — eleven in all: four total, three annular and four partial. The tracker counts down to the next one and lets you scrub through any of them.

The dark ellipse is the umbra, where the eclipse is total; the rings around it mark how much of the Sun is covered — 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 90% — at that instant. Every number here is computed in your browser from NASA's Besselian elements, so nothing is a pre-recorded animation, and the same engine produces both the globe and the tables below.

Every solar eclipse from 2026 to 2030

A partial eclipse means the Moon's shadow cone misses the Earth entirely — nowhere on the planet sees totality. An annular eclipse happens when the Moon is too far away to cover the Sun completely, leaving a bright ring; it is never safe to look at without a filter, even at maximum.

Next up: the total eclipse of 2 August 2027

The standout of the decade. Totality lasts 6 minutes 23 seconds near Luxor — the longest on land this century so far — because the eclipse happens close to solar apogee and near the equator, where the shadow sweeps most slowly. The path crosses southern Spain and Gibraltar, then Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia, much of it under famously reliable August skies.

The 12 August 2026 eclipse in detail

The most recent eclipse in the catalog, kept here for reference. Select any other eclipse from the menu at the top of the tracker.

Spain is on CEST (UTC+2) and Iceland is on GMT (UTC+0). Local sunset times matter: in eastern Spain the eclipse is still in progress when the Sun sets.

Cities in the path of totality

These places see a total solar eclipse — the Sun is completely covered and it is safe to remove eclipse glasses only during totality itself.

Edge cases: Madrid, Bilbao and Santander sit within a few kilometres of the southern limit of the path. NASA's published limit puts Madrid just outside totality at 99.97% coverage. Within a kilometre or two of the limit the true answer depends on the Moon's limb profile and your elevation, so treat those locations as uncertain and move north if you want totality.

Partial eclipse times for major cities

Outside the path, the Sun is partly covered. The Sun is never safe to look at during a partial eclipse without certified eclipse glasses.

Use the tracker's “Use my location” button for times at your exact coordinates rather than the nearest listed city.

How to watch safely

• Use eclipse glasses certified to ISO 12312-2, or a solar filter fitted over the front of a telescope, binoculars or camera lens.
• Sunglasses, smoked glass, exposed film and CDs are not safe, no matter how dark.
• Never look through a telescope or binoculars while wearing eclipse glasses — the concentrated light will burn through the filter.
• Only during totality, when the Sun's disc is completely covered, is it safe to look with the naked eye. Put the filters back on the instant the first sliver reappears.
• Pinhole projection onto card is a safe, free alternative for the partial phases.

Frequently asked questions

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next is the annular eclipse of 6 February 2027, crossing Chile and Argentina with up to 7 minutes 51 seconds of annularity. The next total eclipse is 2 August 2027 across North Africa and the Middle East. The countdown at the top of this page tracks whichever comes next, live.

How many solar eclipses are there between 2026 and 2030?

Eleven: four total (Aug 2026, Aug 2027, Jul 2028, Nov 2030), three annular (Feb 2027, Jan 2028, Jun 2030) and four partial (Jan, Jun, Jul and Dec 2029).

Which upcoming eclipse has the longest totality?

2 August 2027, at 6 minutes 23 seconds near Luxor in Egypt — the longest totality visible from land so far this century. The longest annular is 26 January 2028 at 10 minutes 27 seconds.

What is the difference between a total, annular and partial eclipse?

In a total eclipse the Moon covers the Sun completely and the umbra reaches the ground. In an annular eclipse the Moon is near apogee and appears too small, leaving a bright ring — the antumbra reaches the ground instead. In a partial eclipse the shadow cone misses the Earth altogether, so nowhere sees totality.

What time is the solar eclipse on 12 August 2026?

The eclipse runs from 15:33 UTC to 19:57 UTC. Totality begins at 17:00 UTC in the Arctic and ends at 18:32 UTC over Spain, with greatest eclipse at 17:46 UTC off western Iceland.

Where can I see the total solar eclipse of 2026?

The path of totality crosses far eastern Siberia, the Greenland ice cap, western Iceland (including the Snæfellsnes peninsula and the Westfjords), the North Atlantic, and northern Spain from Asturias through Castilla y León and Aragón to Valencia and the Balearic Islands.

How long does totality last?

Up to 2 minutes 18 seconds at greatest eclipse, about 45 km off the west coast of Iceland. On land, Iceland gets roughly 1–2 minutes and northern Spain up to about 1 minute 45 seconds.

Will I see the eclipse from the UK?

Not totality, but a deep partial eclipse: about 90% of the Sun covered from London, Manchester and Edinburgh, peaking around 18:05–18:15 UTC. Eclipse glasses are required for the entire event.

Is Madrid in the path of totality?

Madrid sits right on the southern limit. NASA's published limit places it just outside, with 99.97% coverage. Travelling 40–60 km north — towards Segovia, Ávila or Guadalajara — puts you comfortably inside the path.

When is the next total solar eclipse?

2 August 2027, crossing southern Spain, Gibraltar, North Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with an exceptional 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality near Luxor.

How accurate is this tracker?

Positions are computed from NASA/GSFC Besselian elements. Greatest eclipse resolves to within 0.001° of the published position, path width to 293 km against a published 294.0 km, and contact times to the second. Locations within about a kilometre of the path limits are inherently uncertain because the model does not include the Moon's limb profile or observer elevation.

How this tracker works

The Moon's shadow is not a circle on the ground. The umbra is a cone whose cross-section is a circle of radius |L2′| on the fundamental plane; where it meets a tilted, curved Earth it becomes an ellipse stretched by 1/sin(altitude) along the Sun's azimuth. With the Sun only 7° above the horizon over eastern Spain, the shadow smears to roughly 840 km long. The coverage rings are isolines of obscuration sampled in screen space each frame — a latitude/longitude grid tears at the antimeridian and degenerates at the pole, both of which this eclipse crosses.

Source code is on GitHub. Elements from the NASA Five Millennium Catalog of Solar Eclipses.