DX Brief:
NASA announced it will provide a live stream of the total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, allowing viewers worldwide to watch as the Moon fully blocks the Sun along a narrow path.
The agency’s stream begins at 1:15 p.m. ET (12:15 p.m. CDT), according to a NASA post on X and details on the NASA Science website.
The path of totality crosses Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. Maximum totality lasts 2 minutes and 18 seconds near the point of greatest eclipse over the North Atlantic, according to NASA eclipse data and the NASA Science page.
Path of Totality and Partial Visibility
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, casting its darkest shadow (the umbra) on a narrow path across Earth’s surface. Outside that path, the broader penumbra produces a partial eclipse where the Moon covers only part of the Sun’s disk. This alignment is possible because the Moon and Sun appear nearly the same size in the sky due to their relative distances and sizes, according to NASA’s explanation of eclipse geometry.
On August 12, the total phase begins over the Arctic and ends near sunset in Spain. Cities in the path include Reykjavík, Iceland, where totality lasts about one minute starting around 5:48 p.m. local time, and locations in Spain such as León, Zaragoza, and Valencia, where totality occurs near 8:28–8:32 p.m. local time just before or around sunset, per NASA city tables.
A partial eclipse is visible across much of the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of the northern United States from Alaska to North Carolina, most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwestern Africa. In the contiguous U.S., coverage is small and limited to northern areas. Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, lies outside the zone of visibility for even a partial eclipse, according to the NASA Science map and description and Time and Date’s U.S. visibility listing, which does not include Texas among states seeing the event.
Last Occurrence and Duration
The most recent total solar eclipse visible from Earth occurred on April 8, 2024, when the path crossed Mexico, the United States (including Texas), and Canada. That event featured longer totality in some locations, lasting up to about 4 minutes and 28 seconds at maximum, according to historical records referenced by Time and Date and NASA data.
For the August 12, 2026, eclipse, totality lasts a maximum of 2 minutes and 18 seconds. Most locations along the path experience less than two minutes of full coverage.
Viewing in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area
Residents of Dallas-Fort Worth will not see the eclipse directly in the sky. The best option is NASA’s live stream, which begins at 1:15 p.m. ET (12:15 p.m. CDT) and features views from the path of totality along with scientific commentary.
The stream is available at nasa.gov/live.
What Causes the Eclipse and When It Will Happen Again
Solar eclipses occur only during a new moon when the Moon is near one of the two points where its orbit crosses the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun (the lunar nodes). The Moon’s orbit is tilted about five degrees relative to Earth’s orbital plane, so perfect alignments are infrequent, according to NASA.
The next total solar eclipse is scheduled for August 2, 2027. Its path of totality will cross southern Spain, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East, with maximum duration exceeding six minutes in some locations, according to NASA and Time and Date forecasts.
NASA’s live coverage and related resources offer the primary means for most people, including those in North Texas, to experience the August 12 event.
Provided by Dallas Express
