Millions could see a rare sunset during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026. Here's where to look

Click for next article Some of Europe will see a sunset solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026. Eclipse chasers will travel to the path in droves, keen to witness a relatively short but ultimately dramatic totality. From Spain, eclipse chasers on the east coast will witness the rare spectacle on land of a totally eclipsed sun just a couple of degrees above the western horizon, minutes from sunset. Total solar eclipse 2026 — Everything you need to know What many eclipse chasers — and those unable to travel to the path of totality — may overlook is the massive partial solar eclipse visible across Europe. Across almost the entire continent, a huge chunk of the sun will appear eclipsed. Even rarer, a partially eclipsed sunset will be visible in France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Russia, Finland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Italy, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania. In Northwest Africa, a similar view awaits Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso. This promises to be a mighty event that millions can view in some form — but do many know about it yet? Here's what you need to know about seeing a partial solar eclipse across Europe on Aug. 12, 2026. How to read an eclipse map The black line on the map above shows where the maximum partial eclipse will happen at sunset. In Warsaw, Poland, for example, the sun will be 83% eclipsed — the maximum there — as it sets. For locations just east of the black line, the sun sets before the partial eclipse ends. Just to the west, sunset occurs as the partial eclipse deepens. The black line on the left shows where the sun will set eclipsed on Aug. 12, 2026. ( Zeiler/EclipseAtlas. com)So where should you be? For the best deep partial eclipse shots at sunset, position yourself west of the black line. Being on the line or just east of it will also work. It's less strict than the path of totality. Still, being close to the line on the northwest side is ideal. This image of a partial solar eclipse during sunrise was captured from New York on June 10, 2021. ( Champlin via )Best places to eclipsed sunset in Europe Here are some places to be in Europe where you'll get views of a partially eclipsed sunset. At the selected sites, maximum obscuration occurs about 10-15 minutes before sunset.