The new year will have four eclipses, two solar and two lunar. The highlight is the total solar eclipse on August 12th that will be visible in Portugal.
The year 2026 promises to be special for astronomy lovers with four predicted eclipses, two of the Sun and two of the Moon. In particular, the total solar eclipse of August 12th, which will be visible in a small area of northeast Portugal, despite the lasting just 10 seconds.
Total eclipse of August 12, 2026 “will really be worth it”
“In Portugal, only in one small part of the northeast of the Montesinho Natural Park It will be possible to see the eclipse as total and the only town still within the range of totality will be the small village of Guadramil, where totality will last just 10 seconds.
In the rest of the national territory, concealment varies between 72% in the Azores and 99.9% in Bragança. This eclipse ends at sunset (in some locations it ends even after the sun sets), but the maximum will be visible throughout the country.”
In partnership with the the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences will organize an observation event for next year’s eclipse, in the only place where it will be total in Portugal.
What is a solar eclipse?
A game of shadows with three actors: the Moon, the Earth and the Sun. A solar eclipse happens when the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sunprojecting its shadow over our planet.
- Eclipse solar total: The Moon completely covers the face of the Sun in certain regions of the Earth, creating a period of darkness similar to dusk. During this moment, the solar corona – the Sun’s outer atmosphere – becomes visible.
- partial solar eclipse – the Moon only covers a part of the Sun, leaving a portion of its surface still visible.
- Eclipse anular – the Moon it cannot cover the entire solar disk and there is a ring of Sun visible around it, explains Ricardo Cardoso Reis.
Types of lunar eclipses
Lunar eclipses occur during the full Moon phase. When the Earth is positioned precisely between the Moon and the Sun, the Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon’s surface, decreasing its brightness and sometimes turning the lunar surface an intense red over the course of a few hours. Each lunar eclipse is visible from half of the Earth.
- Eclipse lunar total: The Moon moves into the inner part of the Earth’s shadow, or umbra. Part of the sunlight that passes through the Earth’s atmosphere reaches the surface of the Moon, illuminating it faintly. Colors with shorter wavelengths – such as blue and violet – disperse more easily than colors with longer wavelengths, such as red and orange. As these longer wavelengths can pass through the Earth’s atmosphere, and the shorter wavelengths are scattered, the Moon takes on an orange or reddish hue during a lunar eclipse. The more dust or clouds there are in the Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear.
- Partial lunar eclipse: an imperfect alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon results in the Moon passing through only part of the Earth’s umbra. The shadow grows and then recedes without ever completely covering the Moon.
- Eclipse penumbral: the Moon passes through the Earth’s penumbra, or the outer, faint part of its shadow. The Moon darkens so slightly that it can be difficult to notice.
Looking at the Sun: a real danger
Observing a solar eclipse without adequate protection can cause serious eye damage. For safe observation, the use of certified solar filters or indirect projectors, such as pinhole projection, is recommended.
One produced by French astronomer Xavier M. Jubier, gives details about these and other eclipses.
