Another solar eclipse is set to sweep across the skies Wednesday, with a total eclipse darkening parts of Greenland, Iceland, and Spain while observers across portions of North America will see a partial eclipse.
The total solar eclipse will occur when the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth, casting its shadow across the planet and temporarily blocking the sun’s light from areas along the eclipse’s path.
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The narrow path of totality will stretch roughly 5,157 miles, beginning over the Arctic coastline at around 1 p.m. Eastern and ending near the Balearic Islands at about 2:30 p.m. Totality will be visible across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and northeastern Portugal.
During totality, the sky can darken dramatically as the moon completely covers the sun. Temperatures can drop, bright stars and planets may become visible, and observers can see the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, glowing around the silhouetted moon.
The moon, which is about 2,159 miles in diameter, is much smaller than Earth. As a result, its darkest central shadow, known as the umbra, is only a few hundred miles wide. As the moon moves along its orbit, that narrow shadow sweeps across Earth’s surface, creating the path of totality.
Observers outside that path will experience a partial solar eclipse, in which the moon partially covers the sun, giving it a crescent-like shape. People in portions of Europe, Africa, and North America will fall within the moon’s lighter outer shadow, known as the penumbra, where only part of the sun will be obscured.
The duration of totality will depend on an observer’s location. In Reykjavik, Iceland, totality is expected to begin at about 5:48 p.m. local time and last roughly one minute. In Leon, Spain, totality will begin around 8:28 p.m. local time and last about two minutes.
The recurrence of solar and lunar eclipses is governed by the Saros cycle, a period of approximately 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours. Scientists can predict eclipses years, decades, and even millennia in advance using precise astronomical measurements and powerful computer models.
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Wednesday’s eclipse will not be the last solar eclipse visible from Earth in the coming years. The next will be an annular solar eclipse on Feb. 6, 2027, visible across parts of Africa and South America.
The next total solar eclipse will arrive Aug. 2, 2027, when totality will be visible across parts of North Africa. The event is expected to produce the longest period of totality on land since 1991.
