Which Indian cities will witness a total solar eclipse on Wednesday?

For observers inside the path of totality, daylight will fade into an eerie twilight, temperatures can drop, and the brightest stars and planets may become visible.The Taj Mahal is pictured during a partial solar eclipse in Agra on October 25, 2022. (Photo: AFP)The Sun will briefly disappear behind the Moon on August 12, creating one of the most spectacular celestial events of 2026: a total solar eclipse that will turn daytime skies dramatically dark for observers along its narrow path of totality.The most dramatic moment will come when the Moon completely covers the Sun's bright disk. For observers inside the path of totality, daylight will fade into an eerie twilight, temperatures can drop, and the brightest stars and planets may become visible.But the darkness will be brief. Totality will generally last less than two minutes, although locations near the centre of the eclipse path can experience totality for a little over two minutes. In parts of Spain, totality will last around a minute to nearly two minutes. What makes a total solar eclipse particularly special is what appears around the Moon's black silhouette. With the Sun's dazzling surface hidden, its normally invisible corona — the outer atmosphere of the Sun, becomes visible, forming a ghostly white halo around the Moon.This fleeting darkness is also a scientific opportunity. NASA-supported teams will use aircraft, balloons and ground observations during the August eclipse to study the Sun's corona and investigate how the sudden loss of sunlight affects Earth's atmosphere.WILL TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BE VISIBLE IN INDIA? The eclipse will sweep across northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain and a small part of Portugal. Much of Europe, northwestern Africa and parts of North America will witness a partial eclipse.However, it will not be visible in India.The cities that will see a total solar eclipse include: Station Nord, safjrur, Borgarnes, Reykjavik, Keflavk, Santander, Bilbao, Gijon, Oviedo, Vitoria-Gasteiz, A Corua, Lugo, Logroo, Burgos, Ponferrada, Zaragoza, Palencia, Salou, Valladolid, Mahon, Port de Pollena, Alcdia, Segovia, Teruel, Palma, Guadalajara, Cuenca, Valencia, Sant Antoni de Portmany, Ibiza.The cities that will see a partial solar eclipse are: Alert, Longyearbyen, Danmarkshavn, Ittoqqortoormiit, Vestmannaeyjar, Torshavn, Stockholm, Oslo, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Berlin, Douglas, Vienna, Dublin, Amsterdam, Rome, Prague, Ljubljana, London, Brussels, Luxembourg, Paris, Zurich, Monaco, Andorra La Vella, Madrid, Algiers, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Casablanca.WHY IS THE AUGUST 12 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE RARE?The eclipse is also unusual for European skywatchers. In parts of mainland Europe, including Spain, the event will occur close to sunset, creating the rare spectacle of a total or near-total solar eclipse against the evening sky.For anyone outside the path of totality, the Moon will still cover a substantial portion of the Sun in many locations. However, partial eclipse viewers must use certified solar-viewing glasses or an appropriate solar viewer.Directly looking at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun can cause permanent eye damage.For just a couple of minutes, the Moon will effectively switch off daylight, offering a rare reminder of the extraordinary cosmic alignment of the Sun, Moon and Earth.WHEN WILL TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BE VISIBLE IN INDIA?India will have to wait for a long time for a total solar eclipse. The next total solar eclipse visible from India will take place on March 20, 2034.It will cross a broad stretch of countries, including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and parts of Africa, before continuing across Asia.- EndsPublished By: Sibu Kumar TripathiPublished On: Aug 11, 2026 11:34 IST