In a statement, Ciência Viva – the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture – notes that this total eclipse will take place on August 12, 2026, but in the case of Portugal, you will only be able to witness this phenomenon in all its glory at the Montesinho Natural Park in Bragança.
If you are unable to go to Bragança to see the total eclipse, you will have to settle for the partial version of the phenomenon, which can be seen in the rest of the country.
According to Ciência Viva, the last total eclipse observed in Portugal was in 1912, and the next one is only predicted for 2144.
“A total solar eclipse occurs when the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun are perfectly aligned, and the Moon completely obscures the solar disk for a few moments,” explains Ciência Viva in a statement. “In 2026, for about 26 seconds, day will turn into night in the northeast of Trás-os-Montes. In the rest of the continental territory and in the autonomous regions, the eclipse will be partial, but still with a very significant occultation of the Sun. The eclipse will be visible in a narrow band that crosses the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and Portugal.”
To commemorate this total solar eclipse, Ciência Viva will have several initiatives to promote the phenomenon, and these will be shared in January on the official website created for this purpose.