Solar eclipse on August 12, 2026

A solar eclipse occurs because the moon is positioned between the sun and the earth. As seen from Earth, the moon then passes in front of the sun. The bright sunlight is blocked by the moon, and it becomes dark for a few minutes in the middle of the day. Anyone viewing a total solar eclipse is, in fact, in the shadow of the moon. A solar eclipse only occurs during a new moon. During a new moon, the moon is not visible. Because it is a new moon every month, you might think that there is also a solar eclipse every month. But that is not the case. This is because the moon is in the right position only twice a year. For, due to a remarkable coincidence, the sun is 400 times larger than the moon and the moon is also 400 times further away. Two places on Earth for a total solar eclipse: Iceland and Spain.

There are different types of solar eclipses. During a total solar eclipse, the sun is completely covered by the moon for a short time, and the sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, becomes visible. During a partial solar eclipse, part of the sun remains visible. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon is further from the Earth and is therefore seemingly too small to completely cover the sun; a bright ring then remains visible around the moon.

Solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth a few times a year, but are relatively rare from one particular location (for example, Europe). A total eclipse is only visible within a narrow strip on the Earth's surface where the Moon's shadow passes. Solar eclipses have been observed and described since antiquity. Today, they can be predicted very accurately and offer opportunities, among other things, to study phenomena in the outer parts of the Sun's atmosphere.

Total Eclipse of the Heart

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” is a power ballad written and produced by Jim Steinman. The original version is by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler from 1983. During the period of the solar eclipse, this song is frequently requested on the radio and other streaming media. Just check out the full song on YouTube. Bonnie Tyler, stage name of Gaynor Hopkins (Skewen, Wales, June 8, 1951 – Faro, July 8, 2026), was a Welsh singer. Tyler lived in Faro, Portugal. She underwent emergency surgery on May 6, 2026, due to a perforated bowel, after which she was placed in a coma and remained in the hospital in Faro. She passed away unexpectedly there on July 8, 2026.