European Space Agency organizes efforts to track total solar eclipse in Europe

One of the most significant solar eclipses of the decade will occur this week, with over 15 million people located in the path of totality and approximately 980 million able to witness the event partially.

A total solar eclipse transcends mere visual spectacle; during the brief moments when the Moon completely obscures the Sun, scientists have the chance to examine aspects of the stellar atmosphere that would normally be hidden by the intense brightness.

This Wednesday (12), NASA-funded research groups will use this occasion to investigate the solar corona and analyze how the sudden decrease in solar luminosity impacts the Earth's atmosphere.

One investigation will be conducted aboard an agency WB-57 aircraft, which will follow the lunar shadow at high altitude. The purpose is to extend the observation time of the solar corona and document any modifications that might be missed during the few minutes of totality seen from the ground.

This aircraft will be equipped with four cameras capable of generating high-definition images across various wavelengths of visible and infrared light. The system has the capacity to record a minimum of 20 photos per second, allowing for the tracking of structures, matter flows, and rapid changes in the Sun's outer layer.

Scientists aim to better understand the formation of solar prominences, which are structures composed of suspended material above the stellar surface. Furthermore, they intend to ascertain why the solar corona reaches temperatures close to one million degrees and what the connection is between this region and the solar wind, which consists of dispersed particles throughout the Solar System.

The aircraft will fly at an altitude of about 15.2 km, positioned above clouds that could interfere with observations. This height also allows for the detection of certain infrared wavelengths that are absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere before reaching the ground.

The same technological setup was used during the total solar eclipse of April 2024. Since then, the team has made adjustments to the cameras and developed tools to streamline the processing and analysis of collected data.

Amir Caspi, a researcher at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and principal investigator of the study, stated in a NASA release: 'The Sun is always changing.' He added that 'each eclipse is different. Thus, we can observe unprecedented things. And we learn from each eclipse how to observe the next one better.'

While the aircraft focuses on the Sun, another team will monitor events near the Earth's surface. In Iceland, the National Balloon Project for Eclipse Observation plans to launch 80 scientific balloons before, during, and after the lunar shadow passes.

These instruments will be used to study the atmospheric boundary layer, which is the lowest part of the atmosphere and is directly affected by surface conditions. The thickness of this layer varies according to factors such as humidity and temperature.

Experiments conducted during the 2023 and 2024 eclipses indicated that this layer reduced its thickness in areas with clear skies but did not show the same pattern in cloudy regions. Currently, scientists want to know if this result will repeat in Iceland.

The season can also influence the atmospheric response. Since the eclipse will occur in August, a period of long days and short nights in Iceland, researchers hope to verify if this characteristic interferes with the observed changes.

Matthew Bernards, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Idaho and responsible for one of the teams in Iceland, raised the question: 'Will this eclipse manage to collapse the atmospheric boundary layer?'

In Spain, three groups will launch six other balloons, equipped with 360-degree cameras to record the shadow's passage over the surface. These balloons will also carry sensors designed to measure ozone levels in the atmosphere.

Ozone depends on solar incidence for its formation and can consequently undergo changes during the totality phase. In tests conducted during the April 2024 eclipse, researchers noted a decrease in the levels of this gas.

This new campaign will allow confirmation of whether such an effect occurs under different conditions. Since the 2026 eclipse will happen at a different time and in a different season, the collected data will help elucidate how environmental variables influence the atmosphere's reaction during a total solar eclipse.

Eclipses are astronomical phenomena defined by the darkening, either total or partial, of a celestial body due to another object intervening in the path of the light source. Recently, in 2026, both a total lunar eclipse, known as the 'Blood Moon,' and an annular solar eclipse were recorded, which generated a 'Ring of Fire' over Antarctica.

The year still has two more events, both scheduled for August; the first will be a total solar eclipse, expected next week. The season will culminate with a partial lunar eclipse, visible throughout Brazil between the 27th and 28th.

The fundamental difference between lunar and solar eclipses lies in the arrangement of the three celestial bodies. In the case of a lunar eclipse, the Earth is positioned between the Sun and the Moon, allowing its shadow to obscure the satellite. In a solar eclipse, the Moon intervenes between the Sun and the Earth, casting its shadow onto an area of the planet and covering the Sun, totally or partially.

According to the Time And Date platform, there are three main categories of solar eclipses: partial, annular, and total. However, there is also a fourth standard, considered more uncommon, that combines characteristics of the others: the hybrid, exemplified by the event in April 2023.

A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon covers only a section of the solar disk, resulting in a 'piece' missing from the edge of the Sun. This is the most frequent type and can be observed in significantly larger regions than those affected by the Moon's densest shadow.

In an annular solar eclipse, the Moon aligns directly with the Sun but is farther from the Earth, making it appear smaller in the sky. Because it cannot completely cover the solar disk, a luminous circle remains visible around the Moon, a phenomenon popularly called the 'Ring of Fire.'

A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon completely covers the Sun for those located in the narrow band hit by the most intense shadow. For a few minutes, the sky darkens as if it were sunrise or sunset, allowing the appearance of brighter stars and planets, as well as making the solar corona, the atmosphere around the Sun, visible to the naked eye.

Finally, the hybrid solar eclipse is the rarest. Its appearance varies as the Moon's shadow travels across the Earth: at certain times it manifests as annular, and at others, it transforms into total. This change is attributed to the curvature of the Earth and the variation in distance between the Moon and observers along the eclipse trajectory.

Details of the next solar eclipse

On the following Wednesday (the 12th), the Sun may be seen completely covered in the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and a small part of Portugal. The partial phase will be visible in the rest of Europe, northern Africa, and the eastern part of North America.

This event begins at 12:34 PM (Brasília time) at an isolated point in the Arctic Ocean, north of Siberia, when the lunar penumbra first reaches the Earth, initiating the partial phase. The spectacle ends just over four hours and twenty minutes later, at 4:55 PM, in an area of the Mediterranean Sea, west of Italy.

The most notable moment should occur near the west coast of Iceland, where totality may last up to two minutes and eighteen seconds. In Spain, which has not witnessed a total solar eclipse on its continental territory for over one hundred years, the total darkness will be shorter, approaching one minute.

The world is preparing for a rare solar eclipse scheduled for August 12. On this day, the sun will temporarily disappear behind the moon, creating a breathtaking astronomical spectacle as daylight transitions to night.

The eclipse will cover parts of the Northern Hemisphere and the Mediterranean. Astronomy enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating this event and conducting thorough preparations for safe viewing.

As sunset approaches, darkness will fall over the Iberian Peninsula, as well as small areas of Greenland and Iceland. According to The Independent, at this moment, the sun, moon, and Earth will align perfectly in the sky.

A longer eclipse next year

The total eclipse will begin near the North Pole, moving south, and last for two minutes and 18 seconds. This event marks the beginning of a longer solar phenomenon next year, which will last six and a half minutes and stretch from Spain to North Africa and the Middle East.

Daytime darkness

The Moon's shadow, or umbra, will travel 8,260 kilometers in an hour and a half, with most of this path passing over the open Atlantic Ocean. The peak of the total eclipse will reach the west coast of Iceland.

When the shadow reaches a small area of Portugal and then Spain, where a large crowd is expected, the total eclipse will diminish to one minute and end in the Mediterranean Sea. A partial eclipse will be visible in remote regions such as Alaska and Siberia, and it will also cover Canada, the northern US, most of Europe, and West Africa. The closer one is to the path of totality, the more of the sun will be hidden by the moon.

The sun will cover 94 percent of Dublin and 83 percent of Oslo in Norway. Montreal will see 18 percent of the sun disappear, and New York will see nine percent, while Norfolk, Virginia, will only show two percent.

Safety rules for observing the eclipse

According to NASA, even if only a small part of the sun is visible, using special eclipse glasses is mandatory. One must observe the eclipse through specialized glasses or a portable solar projector.

Direct observation without protective glasses or a projector is only possible at one moment—during the brief period of totality when the moon completely covers the sun's disk.