August 12 eclipse puts Spain and Iceland at the center of a global sky event

The Aug. 12 total solar eclipse will connect remote Arctic landscapes with some of Europe’s most populated travel corridors. The Moon’s central shadow begins across far northern Russia, crosses Greenland and Iceland, then races over the North Atlantic before reaching Spain and a small part of northeastern Portugal. Spain offers the largest area of totality in Europe, according to the European Space Agency. The shadow crosses the country from west to east and continues over the Balearic Islands. NASA places totality around 8:28–8:30 p.m. in León and around 8:32–8:33 p.m. in Valencia, close to sunset. Elsewhere in western Europe, the event remains partial but deep. London reaches about 91% coverage, Paris and Milan about 92%, and Berlin about 85%. Madrid and Barcelona reach about 99% at NASA’s reference locations but do not enter totality at those city points. That distinction matters operationally and for safety. A 99% eclipse still leaves enough bright solar surface to injure eyes. Anyone outside totality needs certified solar viewers for the entire event, while cameras and telescopes require filters over the front of their optics.