TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth align, and the Moon blocks the Sun's light. In areas where the umbra — the part of the Moon's shadow where light is completely blocked — falls, the Sun is entirely obscured, resulting in a total solar eclipse. In areas where the penumbra — the part of the Moon's shadow where light is only partially blocked — falls, only part of the Sun is obscured, resulting in a partial solar eclipse. Because the umbra is extremely narrow and small, total solar eclipses are visible only in very limited areas on Earth.

A lunar eclipse is the opposite: it occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, and the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon. Because the Earth's shadow is much larger than the Moon, lunar eclipses can be observed over a wide area and for a long duration — whereas solar eclipses, with their much smaller shadow, can only be seen for a short time and within a narrow area.

This indicates the areas where a solar eclipse will actually be visible.

The red belt shows the path of totality — the "total eclipse belt" for this event. In sync with the Earth's rotation, the path of totality moves and shifts its position over time.

The yellow line indicates the area where a partial solar eclipse can be observed. The closer you are to the path of totality, the larger the portion of the Sun that will be covered; the farther away, the smaller it will appear. The percentage marked on each line indicates the maximum percentage of the Sun's surface that the Moon will cover at that location.

The green line shows how the solar eclipse progresses over time. The time (UTC) marked on each line indicates when the maximum eclipse occurs along that line.

This time, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Iceland and northern Spain, which lie in the path of totality, while a partial solar eclipse will be visible across most of the rest of Europe, parts of North America, and parts of Africa.