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2026 is officially the year of the eclipse, featuring a rare quartet of celestial events culminating in Europe's first total solar eclipse in nearly three decades.

The celestial marathon begins on February 17 with an annular "ring of fire" solar eclipse over Antarctica, where the moon’s distance from Earth leaves a brilliant border of light visible around its edges. This is quickly followed on March 3 by a total lunar eclipse. During this "blood moon" event, the Earth’s shadow will blanket the lunar surface in a deep rusty red for nearly an hour, providing a spectacular view for observers throughout the Pacific region, including western North America and eastern Australia.

The year’s crowning jewel arrives on August 12 with a total solar eclipse, the first to touch continental Europe in twenty-seven years. The path of totality will race from the Arctic through Greenland and Iceland before cutting a 182-mile-wide swath across northern Spain. For two breathtaking minutes, day will turn to night and the sun's ethereal corona will be revealed to the naked eye, marking a historic moment for millions of skywatchers across the region.

source: NASA. (2024). Solar and Lunar Eclipses: 2026-2030. NASA Science Mission Directorate.