A solar eclipse will be visible next Wednesday across parts of Europe and portions of the United States. Depending on location, observers will see either a total eclipse—when the Moon fully blocks the Sun—or a partial eclipse, when the Moon covers only part of the Sun.
Where it will be total: Iceland, Greenland, northern Russia, Spain and part of Portugal will experience totality, when the Moon completely obscures the Sun’s disk. In Reykjavík, Iceland, totality is expected to begin at about 5:48 p.m. local time. In León, Spain, totality is forecast to begin at about 8:28 p.m. local time and last roughly two minutes. The European Space Agency notes this will be the first solar eclipse visible from Spain’s mainland since 1905.
Where it will be partial: Northern parts of the United States—from Alaska across to North Carolina—will see a partial eclipse. For example, NASA says the partial eclipse is expected to begin around 1:17 p.m. ET in Washington, D.C., with about 4% of the Sun’s disk covered there.
What a partial eclipse looks like: During a partial eclipse the Sun, Moon and Earth are not perfectly aligned, so only part of the Sun is obscured. The Sun may appear crescent-shaped as the Moon moves across its face.
Eye safety: Special eclipse glasses or handheld viewers with proper solar filters are essential for safely watching either a partial or total eclipse except during the brief period of totality in locations experiencing full coverage. Regular sunglasses—no matter how dark—do not protect your eyes. Looking directly at the Sun without approved protection can cause serious eye injury, including burns and permanent vision loss, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Science opportunities: Scientists will use the eclipse as a chance to study the Sun and Earth’s atmosphere. NASA plans to deploy scientific balloons and a high-altitude research jet to observe how the short darkening of the sky affects atmospheric conditions and to image the Sun’s corona. As Kelly Korreck, NASA’s eclipse program manager, said, observing from Earth during a total solar eclipse provides a unique way to study the Sun’s corona that isn’t possible from elsewhere in the solar system.
Looking ahead: Other upcoming eclipses include a partial solar eclipse visible across parts of the U.S. on Aug. 2, 2027, with totality visible from Spain, the Middle East and parts of North Africa. A total solar eclipse will cross parts of the contiguous United States on Aug. 23, 2044.