Total solar eclipse

Total solar eclipse over Spain and Iceland: August 12, 2026

Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 18:46

The first total solar eclipse over Europe in 27 years. Across Europe the Sun stands low in the evening sky.

Where it can be seen

London: 93 % of the Sun’s diameter covered, greatest at 19:13. Edinburgh: 92 % of the Sun’s diameter covered, greatest at 19:06. Dublin: 95 % of the Sun’s diameter covered, greatest at 19:11.

Facts

Saros series: 126 (48 of 72)
Magnitude: 1.03863
Duration of totality: 2 minutes 18 seconds
Width of the umbra: 294 km
Path of totality: Arctic, Greenland, western Iceland, northern Spain

Source: Fred Espenak, EclipseWise.com · BfS · timeanddate.de. Times for Europe/London.

The day in the planting calendar

This is how August 12, 2026 looks in the biodynamic planting calendar, calculated for the Europe/London time zone.

Day type: Leaf day
Moon in the constellation: Cancer
Moon phase: New Moon
Moon’s path: descending

Lettuce, spinach, cabbage, herbs — everything grown for its leaves.

Unfavourable times on this day

Eclipse: 16:34–20:58

Trines on this day

Mercury and Neptune: Leaf day, 00:00–07:34
Venus and Uranus: Root day, 00:00–07:44

The days before and after

If you want to move the work, here are the neighbouring days with day type and constellation.

Sunday, August 9, 2026Flower day(Gemini, with an unfavourable time)
Monday, August 10, 2026Flower day(Gemini, with an unfavourable time)
Tuesday, August 11, 2026Leaf day(Cancer, with an unfavourable time)
Thursday, August 13, 2026Fruit day(Leo, with an unfavourable time)
Friday, August 14, 2026Fruit day(Leo)
Saturday, August 15, 2026Root day(Virgo)

Every day in August 2026

What it means for sowing and planting

In the biodynamic calendar a solar eclipse is an unfavourable time. Its whole duration is blocked, from first to last contact anywhere on Earth, even if only part of it can be seen from where you live. No sowing and no planting during that time. Before and after, the day type applies as on any other day. A solar eclipse always falls on a new moon: the Moon stands in front of the same constellation as the Sun.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sow and plant on August 12, 2026?

The Moon stands mostly in front of Cancer; it is a leaf day. Unfavourable: Eclipse 16:34–20:58. Outside that time the day suits everything that belongs to a leaf day. Lettuce, spinach, cabbage, herbs — everything grown for its leaves.

When is the next event of this kind?

Annular solar eclipse on February 6, 2027, 16:00: Annular solar eclipse over South America.

Can it be seen from the UK and Ireland?