A Stunning Solar Eclipse Will Soon Unfold. Here’s How Scientists Map the Path of Totality
NASA says the effect comes from map projections that flatten Earth’s curved surface and can distort the eclipse path.
- On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will darken skies as the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking sunlight from specific regions, according to NASA.
- European Space Agency spokesperson Philippe Escoubet explained astronomers predict paths using the saros cycle, a recurring alignment of Earth, sun, and moon repeating about every 18 years.
- Totality will be visible in parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and northeastern Portugal, with the path spanning 5,157 miles across the Arctic and ending near the Balearic Islands.
- Maps of this week's event may appear to show the path moving backwards, a cartographic illusion caused by projecting Earth's 3D sphere onto a 2D plane rather than the actual west-to-east movement.
- After this week's event, the next total solar eclipse will occur on August 2, 2027, in North Africa and the Middle East, with the contiguous United States eclipse following on August 23, 2044.
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A total solar eclipse never follows the same path as another, but scientists, thanks to powerful computational models and precise measurements, can know it much earlier. The post How scientists map the path of a total solar eclipse appeared first on in.gr.
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Today, the Moon will block your view of the Sun, shrouding the day hours in night-like conditions and mark the occurrence of a rare celestial event that offers spectacular views and teachings about our nearest star.
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A man wears eclipse-viewing glasses that are certified with the ISO 12312-2:2015 international safety standard, which specifies requirements for the direct observation of the sun, in Burgos on July 2, 2026. The total solar eclipse on August 12 — the first in Spain since 1905 — will only last around 90 seconds. But the global attention and tourism could bring long-term benefits to often overlooked areas known as “empty Spain”. (Photo by CESAR MAN…
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