What to know about August's total solar eclipse - king5.com
A total solar eclipse is set to occur on August 12, primarily visible across the Iberian Peninsula, Greenland, and Iceland. The event will be followed by a longer eclipse next year, with only partial visibility expected in parts of the United States.
Why it matters
Solar eclipses are significant astronomical events that draw global scientific and public interest.
WASHINGTON — For the first time in more than a century, a total solar eclipse is coming to mainland Spain with an even longer encore next summer.
Toss in a crescendoing meteor shower and a six-planet parade on the same day, and the heavens will be overflowing with awe.
Daytime darkness will descend Aug. 12 across the Iberian Peninsula close to sunset — plus slivers of Greenland and Iceland — as the sun, moon and Earth align perfectly in the sky.
Starting near the North Pole before tracking south, totality will last up to two minutes and 18 seconds, an appetizer for an even longer solar show next year — a 6 ½-minute extravaganza that will sweep from Spain to North Africa and the Middle East.
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