Overview
- Confirmed maps from NASA and national astronomy institutes show a roughly 293-kilometre path of totality that will cross the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, a small part of Portugal and a wide swath of northern Spain on 12 August 2026.
- From Italy the eclipse will be partial, with northwestern regions seeing about 90–95 percent coverage and the moment of maximum obscuration occurring near 20:20 local time, though local sunset and horizon obstructions may mean the peak is not visible everywhere.
- Health authorities including Italy’s Ministero della Salute and astronomy bodies stress that ordinary sunglasses do not protect the eyes and that only ISO 12312-2-certified eclipse glasses or certified solar filters are safe; only observers inside the path of totality may briefly remove protection during totality.
- Demand for travel and outdoor stays has surged along the Spanish totality corridor, with campgrounds and glamping bookings sharply higher, and interest is intensified by the Perseid meteor peak the night of 12–13 August under a favourable new moon.
- Observers are advised to use local simulators and maps (INAF, Heliora, Alessio Zanol’s tools), check exact sunset and horizon clearance, consider short relocations for an unobstructed westward view, and note that Italy’s next total solar eclipse visible from the country will not occur until 2081.