{"id":1073613,"date":"2026-07-07T07:07:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T07:07:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1073613\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T07:07:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T07:07:17","slug":"meet-the-world-cup-country-about-to-have-3-spectacular-solar-eclipses-in-3-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1073613\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet The World Cup Country About To Have 3 Spectacular Solar Eclipses In 3 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

Topline<\/p>\n

Spain is about to become the eclipse capital of the world. On Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse will cross the country \u2014 about to play Portugal in the World Cup \u2014 just before sunset, bringing the moon\u2019s dark umbral shadow to mainland Europe for the first time this century. It will be followed less than a year later by another total solar eclipse in southern Spain on Aug. 2, 2027, and a \u201cring of fire\u201d annular solar eclipse on Jan. 26, 2028. That means Spain will experience three major solar eclipses in just 532 days \u2014 two total and one annular \u2014 making it the must-visit destination for eclipse chasers in the coming years. A tiny region of extreme northeastern Portugal will also be within the path of totality this Aug. 12. <\/p>\n

Spain, total solar eclipse, August 12, 2026, path of totality, map with cities. Moon fully obscuring the sun, crossing from west to east through northern half of Spain, including the Balearic Islands.<\/p>\n

gettyKey Facts<\/p>\n

On Aug. 12, 2026, the path of totality will cross parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Portugal at sunset. From Spain, it will begin in Galicia in the northwest and end in the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Europe will see a deep partial eclipse near sunset, while in the northeastern U.S. states and Canada, a small partial eclipse will be seen in the afternoon. <\/p>\n

The eclipsed sun will sit low in the sky as seen from Spain, making a clear western horizon essential \u2014 and potentially offering dramatic views and photographs. The area around Le\u00f3n, Burgos and Palencia is favored because the eclipse will take place relatively high above flat, open landscapes. <\/p>\n

The Perseid meteor shower peaks on the same night as the eclipse, overnight on Aug. 12-13, under moonless skies. The key time to watch will be in the hours after midnight. It will be visible from the entire Northern Hemisphere if skies are clear. <\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s eclipse trilogy continues on Aug. 2, 2027, when a long total solar eclipse crosses southern Spain before sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East, reaching a maximum of 6 minutes, 22 seconds near Luxor, Egypt. Then, on Jan. 26, 2028, southern Spain will see an annular eclipse \u2014 a \u201cring of fire\u201d \u2014 again just before sunset.<\/p>\n

The Artemis II crew \u2013 Mission Specialist Christina Koch (top left), Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (bottom left), Commander Reid Wiseman (bottom right), and Pilot Victor Glover (top right) \u2013 uses eclipse viewers, identical to what NASA produced for the 2023 annular eclipse and 2024 total solar eclipse, to protect their eyes at key moments during the solar eclipse they experienced during their lunar flyby. This was the first use of eclipse glasses at the Moon to safely view a solar eclipse.<\/p>\n

NASA2026 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE: BACKGROUND<\/p>\n

The Aug. 12, 2026 total solar eclipse will begin in remote Siberia, cross eastern Greenland, western Iceland and the North Atlantic, then sweep across northern Spain before ending just east of the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera) in the Mediterranean. A small area within Portugal\u2019s Montesinho Natural Park will also experience a very short totality. It will be the first total solar eclipse visible from Europe since 2015 and the first from mainland Europe since 1999. Totality will last a little over two minutes at maximum, but Spain\u2019s sunset geometry means viewers will see the black sun hanging low over landscapes, coastlines and horizons \u2014 if clouds and terrain cooperate.<\/p>\n

\u2018SHOOTING STARS\u2019 AND A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE<\/p>\n

The Perseid meteor shower peaks overnight on Aug. 12-13, just hours after the eclipse, and 2026 brings a new moon, meaning dark skies for one of the best Perseid displays in years. During the eclipse itself, the sky may darken enough for Venus, Jupiter or bright stars to appear, but meteors are fleeting, random and generally best seen in a fully dark night sky. A very bright fireball during totality is not impossible, but it would be pure luck. The smart plan is to watch the eclipse at sunset, then stay out all night for Perseids. The real Perseid show comes after midnight and before dawn.<\/p>\n

A map showing the path of totality during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027, created by Michael Zeiler at EclipseAtlas.com<\/p>\n

Michael Zeiler\/EclipseAtlas.com SPAIN\u2019s THREE SOLAR ECLIPSES IN 532 DAYS<\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s rare run begins with the Aug. 12, 2026 total solar eclipse across northern Spain. Less than a year later, on Aug. 2, 2027, another total solar eclipse will cross southern Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia and the British Indian Ocean Territory. In Spain, places such as C\u00e1diz, M\u00e1laga, Tarifa, Ceuta and Melilla will be among the prime locations, while the longest global duration will occur near Luxor, Egypt, at 6 minutes, 22 seconds. Then, on Jan. 26, 2028, Spain gets a third solar eclipse \u2014 this time annular. The moon will appear slightly too small to completely cover the sun, leaving a thin ring of sunlight around the lunar silhouette. The path of annularity will cross the Gal\u00e1pagos Islands, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname, French Guiana, Morocco, Portugal and southern Spain, where it will occur close to sunset. <\/p>\n

WHERE TO SEE THE 2026, 2027 AND 2028 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSES<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know about the next three total solar eclipses:<\/p>\n