Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

August Features Solar Eclipse, Perseids Meteor Shower, Lunar Eclipse

8/3/2026

36 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

A partial solar eclipse on Aug. 12 will cover up to 93% of the Sun in northern Canada.
Totality will be visible across Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain.
The Perseids peak Aug. 12-13 under a new moon, yielding 50-75 meteors per hour in dark skies.
A lunar eclipse on Aug. 27-28 will last 5 h 38 m, cover 96.2% of the Moon, and require ISO 12312-2 glasses per NASA.

History

Historical Context

In May 1919 Arthur Eddington led expeditions to Príncipe and Sobral that measured starlight deflection of about 1.75 arcseconds, confirming Albert Einstein’s general relativity. The August 12 2024 partial eclipse, covering up to 93 % of the Sun over northern Canada, revives that legacy as NASA, ESA and worldwide observatories coordinate observations that advance solar physics and public engagement.

1 of 2

Story summary

A partial solar eclipse on Aug. 12 will cover up to 93% of the Sun in northern Canada.
Totality will be visible across Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain.
The Perseids peak Aug. 12-13 under a new moon, yielding 50-75 meteors per hour in dark skies.
A lunar eclipse on Aug. 27-28 will last 5 h 38 m, cover 96.2% of the Moon, and require ISO 12312-2 glasses per NASA.

1 / 2