Overview
- A total solar eclipse will cross parts of the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and a narrow corridor of Portugal and Spain on August 12, 2026, with totality over most Spanish sites lasting under two minutes and in some places only seconds.
- NASA will run a multi-platform science campaign that includes a high-altitude WB-57 research aircraft carrying the SAMI multispectral imager, coordinated balloon launches in Iceland and Spain, and ground teams to capture extended corona imagery and atmospheric data.
- Spanish regional and local authorities have activated emergency protocols called ECLIPBAL and PLATERBAL and set official observation zones and traffic and access controls to manage crowds and protect sensitive natural areas.
- Health and safety officials urge use of ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses or proper solar filters for all partial phases, and ophthalmologists warn that looking at the Sun without approved protection can cause permanent retinal damage.
- Researchers aim to study coronal structure and heating plus short-term changes in the atmospheric boundary layer and ozone using lessons from the 2024 campaign, with findings that could improve atmospheric models and help protect satellites and communications.