A total solar eclipse is sweeping across parts of the Northern Hemisphere Wednesday, giving millions of skywatchers in the path of totality a chance to witness one of the year’s biggest celestial events.
The Aug. 12 eclipse is visible in parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Portugal and Russia, while people in parts of the United States can see a partial solar eclipse, according to NASA.
As the eclipse unfolds, photos are capturing the celestial spectacle and crowds gathering to watch it.
See photos of the 2026 total solar eclipse
The view of the eclipse varies depending on location, with only those within the path of totality able to see the sun completely blocked by the moon.
A partial solar eclipse is seen at Soliman Beach in Tunisia’s Nabeul province, August 12, 2026.
Fethi Belaid/AFP via Getty Images
The moon partially covers the sun during a partial solar eclipse, as seen from Berlin, Germany, August 12, 2026.
Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
The moon completely covers the sun during a total solar eclipse as seen from the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory in Arcos de las Salinas, near Teruel, Spain, August 12, 2026.
Christian Hartmann/Reuters
A total solar eclipse is seen August 12, 2026 in Palencia, Spain.
Leon Neal/Getty Images
The sun’s corona glows as the moon completely blocks the sun during the totality phase of the total solar eclipse as seen from San Asensio, La Rioja region, Spain, August 12, 2026.
Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images
A composite image of seven separate photographs taken with a single fixed camera shows stages of a solar eclipse before, during and after totality, as seen from Arija, Spain, August 12, 2026.
Borja Suarez/Reuters
The moon covers the sun during a total solar eclipse in Palencia, Spain, Aug. 12, 2026.
Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo
In this image of the sun during a partial solar eclipse and partially obscured by clouds, the International Space Station is seen in silhouette as it transits at roughly five miles per second, Aug. 12, 2026, near Hodgdon, Maine.
Joel Kowsky/NASA
The Prague Castle is silhouetted against a partial solar eclipse in Prague, Czech Republic, August 12, 2026.
Martin Divisek/EPA/Shutterstock
The moon completely covers the sun during a total solar eclipse as seen from Arija, Spain, August 12, 2026.
Borja Suarez/Reuters
The moon partially covers the sun during a solar eclipse, as seen from A Coruna, Spain, August 12, 2026
Miguel Vidal/Reuters
People watch the solar eclipse during the European Athletics Championships Birmingham 2026, in Birmingham, Britain, August 12, 2026.
Tolga Akmen/EPA/Shutterstock
Who can see the total solar eclipse?
NASA notes the total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow path that stretches across Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, a small corner of Portugal and northern Russia.
People within the path of totality will see the moon completely cover the sun for a brief period, turning daytime skies dark.
Where can you see the eclipse in the U.S.?
Parts of the northern United States, from Alaska to North Carolina, will experience a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday, according to NASA.
The timing and amount of the sun covered by the moon will vary depending on location. In Anchorage, Alaska, the partial eclipse will begin at 7:36 a.m. local time and reach its maximum at 8:21 a.m., with about 28% of the sun covered. In New York City, it will begin at 1:07 p.m. and peak at 1:54 p.m., with about 9% coverage.
Other cities where the partial eclipse will be visible include Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Detroit and Portland and Bangor, Maine.
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on Earth that fully or partially blocks the sun, according to NASA.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon completely covers the sun for observers within the path of totality. Outside that path, people see a partial solar eclipse, where only part of the sun is obscured.
Do you need eclipse glasses?
A man holds eclipse-viewing glasses that are certified to the ISO 12312-2:2015 international safety standard, which specifies requirements for the direct observation of the sun, in a store in Burgos, Spain, July 2, 2026.
Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images
Yes. Anyone viewing a partial solar eclipse should wear certified solar eclipse glasses or use a handheld solar viewer that meets the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard, NASA recommends. Regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the sun.
The agency says the only time it is safe to view the sun without certified eclipse glasses is during totality, when the moon completely covers the sun. Since the Aug. 12 eclipse will be partial across the United States, viewers should wear eclipse glasses throughout the event.
Workers at Astromo, a space enthusiasts online store, package eclipse viewing glasses certified with the ISO 12312-2:2015 international safety standard which specifies requirements for direct observation of the sun, in Palma de Mallorca, June 25, 2026.
Jaime Reina/AFP via Getty Images
When was the last total solar eclipse visible in the U.S.?
The last total solar eclipse visible from the United States occurred on April 8, 2024, when the path of totality crossed 15 states from Texas to Maine, according to NASA.
When is the next total solar eclipse in the U.S.?
The next total solar eclipse visible from any part of the United States will occur on March 30, 2033, when totality will be visible only in Alaska, NASA says.
The next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States is expected on Aug. 23, 2044. Another coast-to-coast total solar eclipse will follow on Aug. 12, 2045.
