Dear Friends –
It’s time to get ready for this summer’s solar eclipse (Aug. 12, 2026), the first of three back-to-back eclipses occurring just short of 1 year apart in 2026, 2027, and 2028. Take a look at the overall map below for this year’s eclipse (from Xavier Jubier’s interactive site). Notice that:
- Opportunities for totality are fairly limited: just the narrow path that goes through Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, BUT:
- A partial solar eclipse will be visible everywhere within (north of) the green lines, which means it will be visible (clouds permitting) to almost everyone in Alaska, Canada, the northeastern U.S., Ireland, the UK, and much of western Europe.
Here’s how you can view it:
- Use the Totality App to check your local circumstances: If you have more than about a 5-10% partial eclipse then with eclipse glasses you’ll be able to notice the “bite” taken out of the Sun. For example, the three screenshots below show the circumstances for New York City, Bangor ME, and London. NOTE: We released the latest version of the Totality app in May, so if you have an older version be sure to download the newer version from your app store.
- Make sure you have eclipse glasses: Remember that it is never safe to look at he Sun, including during a partial solar eclipse, so you’ll want eclipse glasses to watch the partial eclipse. For details see the “Safe Viewing” screen in the Totality app (click main menu, then Learn, then Safe Viewing), which you can also view here. Note: If you still have eclipse glasses from the 2024 eclipse, they are safe to use as long as they are undamaged.
- Go out and watch it!
Also be sure to use the app to check out the 2027 and 2028 eclipses — both of these should be excellent if you are looking for eclipse-related travel opportunities. I’ll send more info on these in a future email…
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Best,
Jeff