Solar eclipse on August 12: What we will see from Bulgaria

On August 12, 2026, the sky over Europe will offer a rare astronomical phenomenon – a total solar eclipse, the first in nearly three decades. Unfortunately, the full phase will not be visible from the territory of Bulgaria, and observers here will only be able to track a faint partial eclipse at the very end of the day.

What the path of the eclipse will be

According to scientists cited by the French Astronomical Association, the total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, will begin in the northernmost part of Yakutia in Russia, after which it will cross the Arctic, pass along the eastern shores of Greenland, and continue through the North Atlantic, very close to the western shores of Iceland. From there, the lunar shadow will cross Spain from northwest to southeast, passing through cities such as "A Coruña", "Bilbao", "Zaragoza", "Valencia", and "Palma de Mallorca", before ending its path in the Mediterranean Sea.

Physicist Pencho Markishki from the Institute of Astronomy with NAO at the BAS explains that "in Europe, the best conditions for observing the eclipse will be provided by a small area on the northern coast of Spain – the region around the city of Oviedo". From there, the phenomenon will be observed low above the western horizon, and the duration of the full phase itself will be only "1 minute and 48 seconds". Outside the narrow strip of the total eclipse, the phenomenon will be visible only as a partial one – which will be the case in most of Europe, including Bulgaria.

Why the phenomenon is so rare

According to the French Astronomical Association, cited by BTA, solar eclipses occur once or twice a year, but "the shadow of the Moon passes along a strip on Earth with a width of only a few hundred kilometers". That is precisely why, to observe a total solar eclipse from the same place again, about "400 years" must pass. The association also explains the mechanism of the phenomenon itself: "Due to a remarkable coincidence – one of the most original balances in the Solar System – the Moon, although 400 times smaller than the Sun, is also 400 times closer, and their apparent diameters are identical."

The next solar eclipses visible from parts of Spain will occur on August 2, 2027, in the southernmost regions of the country, and then on January 26, 2028 – in most of southern Spain.

What specifically will be visible from Bulgaria

From the territory of Bulgaria, the phenomenon will be observable only in the northwesternmost parts of the country, and only as a partial eclipse with a very small phase. According to Pencho Markishki, for the city of Vidin, the eclipse will begin at "20:27", when the Sun will be at a height of just "1 degree and 19 minutes" above the western horizon, and the phenomenon will be visible for a very short time – until the very sunset of the Sun a little later.

According to estimates by the specialized astronomical resource Astrolab.bg, the coverage of the solar disk will vary significantly depending on the observation point: in Vidin, as the best-positioned Bulgarian city, it will reach about "7%", while in Sofia it will be only about "1%". In the eastern parts of the country, the phenomenon will practically not be noticeable. The start of the visible partial phase in Bulgaria is expected around "20:26", and since the Sun will already be low above the horizon, a completely open western view will be necessary – observers recommend places along the Danube, especially between Svishtov and Ruse, as well as the open fields in the Danubian Plain and the high plateaus of Dobrudzha.

Mandatory eye protection

Experts are firm that observing the Sun, even with minimal coverage on the order of "1%", requires certified protection. According to the French Astronomical Association, "the danger does not come from the eclipse itself, but from looking directly at the Sun without protection. A person can damage their retina without even feeling it, and this is irreversible. The retina has no pain receptors and vision disturbances can appear later."

The only suitable protection is glasses that meet the international standard "ISO 12312-2:2015", which filter 100% of ultraviolet rays. Ordinary sunglasses, smoked glass, X-ray films, floppy disks, or welding masks below class 14 do not provide the necessary protection against infrared radiation, which damages the retina painlessly and without visible symptoms at the moment of exposure.

Double astronomical show at night

Besides the eclipse, on the same night between August 12 and 13, the Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak, and this will be under new moon conditions – without any moonlight to interfere with the observation. In a good dark place and with a clear sky, between "80 and 100 meteors per hour" are expected, and the last time with such favorable conditions was in 2018, while the next comparable chance is expected only in 2029.