On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will cross parts of Spain and Portugal, marking the return of a major total eclipse to Europe after the last one visible from the continent on August 11, 1999. In Spain, this will be the first total solar eclipse visible from the mainland in more than a century. In France, the eclipse will be partial, with some locations experiencing up to about 99% of the Sun’s disk covered by the Moon. But what exactly is a solar eclipse?
Solar eclipses are quite rare phenomena because the Sun, Moon, and Earth must be perfectly aligned, and the Moon must be at the new moon stage (the point at which it is no longer visible). They are so rare that it takes 300 years for one to occur again in the same location. North America will have the best chance of experiencing three total eclipses during this century: the first from Mexico to eastern Canada in 2024, from Northern California to Florida in 2045, and from British Columbia to North Carolina in 2099. North Africa and Southern Europe will be able to observe one in 2027, and Australia in 2028. In Macedonia, no data indicates that there have already been total eclipses; however, on August 1, 2008, there was reportedly a partial eclipse, according to a graph showing the path of the Sun.
Let’s now talk about the types of eclipses: the most well-known, total, where the sun is completely obscured; partial, where the eclipse covers 1% to 99% of the sun; annular, where the eclipse is not large enough to completely cover the sun; and finally, hybrid, which is the rarest case. This occurs because the curvature of the Earth causes the eclipse to transition between annular and total along its path.
When there is a total eclipse, many people gather to observe this natural spectacle. It can last between 10 seconds and 7.5 minutes, and during this time, it is dark in broad daylight, and the temperature drops by 8 to 10°C. From space, we can observe an enormous shadow that measures approximately 150 km wide. If you wish to observe a lunar eclipse with a telescope or the naked eye, you will need a lens or filter to block infrared and ultraviolet rays. For the naked eye, you will need glasses with a filter, all to avoid burning your retina. However, there is a brief period when you can observe the eclipse safely.
If you have the opportunity to see an eclipse safely, take advantage of it before it’s too late: measurements of the distance between the Earth and the Moon show that our cosmic companion is slowly moving away from us. In about a billion years, the Moon will have moved so far from Earth that total solar eclipses will be nothing more than a distant memory.
Loïc Printemps
Sources:
Les sorciers décrochent la lune – C’est pas sorcier [Intégrale]
Qu’est-ce qu’une éclipse solaire ? | National Geographic | National Geographic
Liste d’éclipses solaires — Wikipédia
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