The sky will do something huge at a time when we usually think about something else: dinner, the shower after the sea, the traffic on the way home, the aperitif that gets longer. Wednesday August 12, 2026however, towards the evening, a part of Europe will raise its head almost at the same time. In Italy we will see a partial solar eclipse, especially in the North-West. In Spain, within a very precise band, the Sun will be completely covered by the Moon just as it approaches sunset. A beautiful scene, sure. Even one of those situations where a stupid gesture is enough to ruin your eyes.
The total eclipse will cross Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain; the rest of Europe, including Italy, will witness a partial phase. Updated NASA maps indicate a path of totality for August 12, 2026 that will also pass over Spain, while the phenomenon will be partial over much of the European continent.
For those who live in Italy, therefore, there are two possibilities. The first: stay here and observe one partial eclipsemore marked in the northern and western regions. The second: transform it into a journey, focusing on Spain, where the totality will be visible in various areas of the northern half of the country and in the Balearic Islands. Spanish tourist information indicates a band that goes from west to east, from Galicia to the Balearic Islands, with A Coruña among the first Spanish points affected and the Balearic area among those involved in the final part of the phenomenon.
With us it will be partial
In Italy there will be a spectacle, especially looking towards the west, with the sun already low. In Milan the partial eclipse will begin at 7.27pmwill reach its maximum at 8.20pm with magnitude 0.933 and will end at 8.35pm. In Turin it will start at 7.28pmmaximum at 8.21pm with magnitude 0.941end at 8.40pm. In Rome it will be shorter: start at 7.32pmmaximum at 8.11pm with magnitude 0.750end at 8.14pm. In Naples it will start at 7.33pmmaximum at 8.02pm with magnitude 0.556end at 8.05pm. All times are local.
The difference is immediately clear: in the North-West the solar disk will be covered in a much more evident way. Ventimiglia, for example, is indicated with a maximum coverage close to 94.84% at 8.23pm. The South will still see the phenomenon, with lower intensity and for less time, because the Sun will already be very low on the horizon.
This detail changes everything. Anyone who wants to observe it from Italy will have to choose an open point towards the west, without buildings, hills, trees or mountains placed in front in the last degrees of the sky. A Tyrrhenian beach, an unobstructed viewpoint, a hill with a clear view, an unobstructed coastal area can make the difference between actually seeing something and staring at a condominium against the light with a disappointed look.
In Spain it becomes travel
Spain is preparing the eclipse as a major event astronomical tourism. And here the discussion is of great interest to us too, because for an Italian it is a nearby destination, reachable with direct flights, ferries to the Balearics or longer itineraries between cities and inland areas. The 2026 total eclipse will be the first visible from the Iberian Peninsula in over a century, according to the official portal of Spain’s National Geographic Institute, which collects astronomical data and tools to check visibility location by location.
The most delicate point is the time. In Spain the eclipse will arrive at sunset, so a very clear horizon will be needed. The dedicated information page recommends choosing the location in advance, checking it in the days before and paying attention to buildings, trees, mountains and low obstacles, because in 2026 and 2028 the phenomenon will occur with the Sun close to the horizon line.
Translated into practice: booking “a city within the range” can be useful, but then you have to understand where to actually put yourself. Totality does not last long. In some places in Spain we are talking about a handful of seconds, in others more than a minute. And when an event lasts so short, arriving late, finding traffic, choosing a spot covered by a ridge or discovering at the last moment that there is a row of trees ahead becomes a small tragedy for an astronomical holiday.
The right glasses
The least romantic part is also the most important: safety. During a partial eclipse, looking directly at the Sun remains dangerous. Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are useless for solar observation. They are needed eclipse glasses or solar visors compliant with the international standard ISO 12312-2. The American Astronomical Society reminds us that direct observation of the Sun is safe only through specific solar filters; outside the narrow phase of totality, looking at the Sun with the naked eye exposes you to serious risks.
NASA adds a key detail: During the partial phases of a total solar eclipse, glasses must be worn before and after totality. Only in the totality band, and only when the Moon completely covers the solar disk, can it be observed without a filter with the naked eye. As soon as even a small part of the Sun reappears, glasses become necessary again.
For Italy the rule is even simpler: everything will be partial. So certified glasses are always useful, from start to finish. This also applies to smartphones, cameras, binoculars and telescopes: optical instruments concentrate light and require specific solar filters in front of the lens. Using eclipse glasses together with binoculars or a camera without an adequate filter can become dangerous, because the concentrated light can damage the filter and get into your eyes.
Those who want a simple solution can use indirect projection: a perforated card, a box, even the shadow cast by objects with small holes. Less Instagrammable, much more sensible. NASA actually describes hole projectors as a safe way to see an image of the eclipsed Sun without looking at it directly.
