You've probably woken up, scrolled through your feed, and seen a sudden surge of "eclipse" mentions. It's that familiar itch—the one where you wonder if you should be hunting for those cardboard glasses or if you've already missed the main event. If you are asking what time is the solar eclipse today, I’ve got some news that might be a bit of a buzzkill, but also some dates you’ll want to circle in red on your 2026 calendar.
Basically, if today is January 14, 2026, there is no solar eclipse happening right now.
I know, I know. The internet has a funny way of making old news feel like breaking news. Or maybe you're seeing people prep for the "Big One" coming later this year and assumed it was happening this morning. Honestly, the confusion is totally fair. Astronomy is complicated, and the "today" in a search result isn't always the "today" on your watch. But don't click away yet—because we are actually entering what experts call a "Golden Age" of eclipses, and the first one of 2026 is just around the corner.
When is the next solar eclipse in 2026?
Since we've established nothing is blocking the sun today, let’s talk about when it actually happens. The first major celestial event of the year is scheduled for February 17, 2026.
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This isn't your average "it gets kinda dark for a minute" event. This is an annular solar eclipse. You might have heard people call it a "Ring of Fire." This happens because the moon is just a bit too far from Earth to cover the sun completely. Instead of a total blackout, you get this stunning, glowing ring of sunlight peeking around the edges of the moon.
The timing for February 17
If you happen to be a scientist stationed in Antarctica or a very adventurous traveler on a South Atlantic cruise, here is the basic timeline in UTC:
- Partial eclipse begins: 09:56 UTC
- Annularity (The Ring of Fire) starts: 11:42 UTC
- Greatest eclipse (the peak): 12:13 UTC
- Annularity ends: 12:41 UTC
- Partial eclipse ends: 14:30 UTC
For most of us? We’ll be watching the livestream. The "path of annularity"—the narrow track where you actually see the ring—is restricted almost entirely to Antarctica. A few folks in the southern tip of Chile, Argentina, and parts of South Africa might see a partial "bite" taken out of the sun, but for the rest of the world, we're waiting for August.
The August 12 Total Solar Eclipse: The one you actually care about
If the February event feels a bit out of reach, mark your calendars for August 12, 2026. This is the heavyweight champion of 2026 astronomical events. It is a total solar eclipse, and unlike the one in February, this one is going to be visible from places where people actually live.
Think Spain. Think Iceland. Think Greenland.
This is the first total solar eclipse to hit mainland Europe in over a quarter-century. The last time this happened was 1999. If you were around for the 2024 eclipse in North America, you know the hype is real. The birds stop singing. The temperature drops. The sky turns a weird, bruised purple color. It's genuinely life-altering.
What time is the solar eclipse on August 12?
Timing is everything. In Spain, this is going to be a "Sunset Eclipse." Imagine the sun turning into a black hole in the sky just as it’s dipping toward the horizon.
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- In Reykjavik, Iceland: Totality hits around 5:48 PM local time.
- In Northern Spain (Gijón, Santander, Bilbao): Totality occurs very late, around 8:27 PM local time, just minutes before the sun sets.
The duration is short—most places will only get about 1 minute and 40 seconds to 2 minutes of total darkness. But those two minutes are worth the flight.
Why you keep seeing "Today" in eclipse searches
You’re probably wondering why you searched what time is the solar eclipse today and found so much conflicting info. It’s mostly due to the "Saros Cycle" and how Google handles dates.
Sometimes, people are actually looking for lunar eclipses. There is a massive total lunar eclipse coming up on March 3, 2026. During that event, the moon will turn a deep blood red. It’ll be visible across the Americas, Asia, and Australia. If you saw a headline about a "Blood Moon today," that’s likely what it was referring to, even if the timing was a few weeks off.
Also, search engines sometimes surface "evergreen" content from previous years. If there was a major eclipse on this day in 2024 or 2025, those old articles can sometimes haunt the front page like digital ghosts.
How to actually prepare (No, sunglasses aren't enough)
Look, I'm going to be a bit of a "mom" here: do not look at the sun. Not even a little bit. Not even if it's 95% covered.
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Unless you are in that tiny window of "totality" (where the sun is 100% blocked), looking at it will cook your retinas. Standard sunglasses—even the expensive polarized ones—are basically useless. You need ISO 12312-2 certified solar filters.
If you're planning for the August eclipse in Spain or Iceland, buy your glasses now. By July 2026, the prices will triple, and the shipping times will be a nightmare. Honestly, just throw a five-pack in a drawer and forget about them until summer.
Actionable Next Steps for Stargazers
Since there isn't an eclipse to step outside and see this second, here is how you can get ready for the real ones coming up:
- Check your location: Use a site like Time and Date to plug in your exact city. It will tell you to the second when the next partial or total eclipse will be visible from your backyard.
- Book travel for August: If you want to be in Spain for the total eclipse, hotels in cities like Valencia, Zaragoza, and Palma are already starting to fill up.
- Download an Eclipse App: Apps like Solar Eclipse Timer use your GPS to give you audio countdowns so you know exactly when to take your glasses off and when to put them back on.
- Watch the "Ring of Fire" Online: On February 17, 2026, keep an eye on NASA's YouTube channel. They usually have a feed from one of the Antarctic research stations. It’s the easiest way to see the eclipse without freezing your toes off.
The sun and moon are doing a complicated dance this year. Even if you missed the boat today, 2026 is providing plenty of second chances. Keep those glasses handy.