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The best images from the 2026 solar eclipse

Asa Stahl Ambre Trujillo

Written by Asa Stahl, PhD and Ambre Trujillo
August 14, 2026

A total solar eclipse stunned millions around the world on Aug. 12, 2026, with the Moon completely blocking the Sun along a narrow path of totality that passed through Iceland and Spain. Check out our favorite photos from the eclipse:

Total solar eclipse over the Mediterranean
Total solar eclipse over the Mediterranean The Aug. 12, 2026, total solar eclipse as imaged over the Mediterranean Sea by astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy. Follow him on IG: @CosmicBackground.Image: Andrew McCarthy
The Moon and the Sun's corona
The Moon and the Sun's corona The Sun's corona is visible around the Moon during the 2026 total solar eclipse in this image by AJ Smadi (IG: @aj.smadi) from Burgos, Spain.Image: AJ Smadi
Diamond ring and prominences
Diamond ring and prominences The famous "diamond ring" pattern, as well as solar prominences, visible during 2026 total solar eclipse in this image by AJ Smadi (follow on IG: @aj.smadi).Image: AJ Smadi
Partial solar eclipse 2026
Partial solar eclipse 2026 A partial solar eclipse as photographed by Planetary Society member Jean Claude Le Danff from Normandy, France, outside of the path of totality of the 2026 eclipse.Image: Jean Claude Le Danff
Total solar eclipse from MTG-I1
Total solar eclipse from MTG-I1 The Moon's shadow is visible over northern latitudes, right up against the boundary between day and night on Earth, in this image from the European Space Agency's Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite taken during the total solar eclipse of 2026.Image: ESA / Eumetsat
Partial solar eclipse montage
Partial solar eclipse montage A partial solar eclipse montage as photographed by Planetary Society member Manuel Kasten, in Hanover, Germany, outside of the path of totality of the 2026 eclipse.Image: Manuel Kasten
An almost diamond ring
An almost diamond ring The Aug. 12, 2026, solar eclipse seen when the Moon is not quite fully covering the Sun's inner atmosphere, leading to brighter version of the classic "diamond ring" pattern. Image by astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy. Follow him on IG: @CosmicBackground.Image: Andrew McCarthy
Eclipse over Burgos
Eclipse over Burgos The 2026 total solar eclipse above a cathedral in Burgos, Spain, photographed by AJ Smadi (follow on IG: @aj.smadi).Image: AJ Smadi
Crescent Sun during eclipse
Crescent Sun during eclipse The Sun viewed during a partial solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, as photographed by Justin Shekoski from Palencia, Spain.Image: Justin Shekoski
Eclipse of the heart
Eclipse of the heart A partial solar eclipse, framed through a heart shape in two hands, casts a projection over a heart. Photo by Sunshine Nate (Follow on YouTube: @sunshinenate) in Palencia, Spain.Image: Sunshine Nate
Eclipse from Fuentideueña
Eclipse from Fuentideueña The 2026 total solar eclipse as photographed by astrophysicist Ryan French from Fuentideueña, Spain. IG: @sun.scientistImage: Ryan French
Near totality
Near totality The 2026 solar eclipse near the moment of totality, as seen by Sunshine Nate (Follow on YouTube: @sunshinenate) from Palencia, Spain.Image: Sunshine Nate
Pink prominences 2026 eclipse
Pink prominences 2026 eclipse Pink tongues of plasma visible in part of the outer atmosphere of the Sun, called the chromosphere, photographed during the 2026 total solar eclipse from León, Spain, by Planetary Society member Christopher Becke.Image: Christopher Becke

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