Total Solar Eclipse 2026

S’Arenal, Mallorca·12 August 2026

Totality duration: 1 minute 39 seconds. Viewed over the Bay of Palma from our hotel roof, above packed beaches and astonished crowds.

We got lucky. Plenty of people didn’t.

This is the second total eclipse I have been lucky enough to shoot, and being so low on the horizon, we had to be prepared for weather to play a major role in our location choice and visibility. The path of totality covered western Iceland, Northern Spain and the Balearic Islands.

Looking at historical weather data for each, the risk of cloud was high regardless of location. We chose Mallorca as our best option despite the low eclipse elevation on the balance of cloud cover and availability/cost of flights and accommodation.

To plan a trip like this, I would previously have said that car hire was an essential to remain adaptable with changing weather conditions. However, with local roads closed early in the day, we had to pin our hopes on a single solution and be at peace with the outcome. Luckily for us, it worked out.

It’s the same problem as shooting the Milky Way. There are only so many nights per year where it’s visible, it’s difficult to find a good location away from light pollution, and still I have to be prepared that bad weather will get in the way. Except a total eclipse is much rarer and the stakes are a lot higher. Combine the odds with the awe-inspiring beauty of the event you’re witnessing, and it’s one of the most satisfying photographs you’ll capture in your lifetime.

The sun setting over the marina and the mountains across the bay, the evening before the eclipse. — 11 Aug·The rehearsal

We arrived at the hotel just over 24 hours ahead of time, so managed to assess the visibility the night before the big day.

We watched the sun become engulfed by cloud around 10 minutes before totality would have been seen, so we knew we had to prepare ourselves for low level cloud being the main threat to visibility.

Harry and Zoe under a parasol with cold drinks on the afternoon of the eclipse. — 12 Aug·Waiting it out

On the day of the eclipse, there was little we needed to do.

We were already at our viewing location, we enjoyed the sunny weather, and all was looking really promising. We took a trip to the beach, and rested at the rooftop terrace with cold drinks and plenty of shade until a couple of hours before first contact (the point where the moon first touches the sun).

We took some time to find a good spot for taking photos (aware that the terrace may be quite busy for the eclipse) and chatted with the lovely people we would be sharing this unique experience with.

Harry on the hotel roof beside a camera on a tripod fitted with a white solar filter, the bay behind him. — 19:51·Set up

With the cameras mounted, solar filters fitted, exposure settings checked and eclipse timers set, it was time.

There was a buzz around the terrace as we prepared for the moon to intersect the sun for the first time. There was nothing more we could do, so we took our seats and waited for the show to begin.

From my last experience photographing an eclipse, I really emphasise the need for preparation. You cannot be prepared enough because in those 97 seconds where the sun is completely obscured, everything happens so quickly, there is no time to be fumbling about. And the most important part of the experience is to have some time to put the camera down and to look with your own eyes. Every second counts.

A crescent sun behind thin cloud during the partial phase, with an airliner silhouetted crossing it. — 01·Aircraft Transit

After watching a few planes taking off from Palma International Airport, we noticed a few were getting really close to the partially eclipsed sun. We knew as the eclipse and sunset progressed, we could see we’d have a good chance of capturing a plane crossing the solar disk. We didn’t have to wait long.

The same aircraft a moment later, vapour trail streaming across the crescent sun. — 02·Vapour Trail

I couldn’t believe how clearly you can see the turbulence coming off the engines bending and distorting the light from the eclipse.

The diamond ring: a single bright bead of sunlight on the edge of the moon's disc. — 03·Diamond Ring

One of the most iconic moments of an eclipse. When the solar filters come off and as the moon covers that final piece of the sun, you can see details of the terrain on the surface of the moon and the final moment of light is known as a ‘Diamond Ring’. The sun’s corona is already visible surrounding the moon, and the wispy clouds make for an atmospheric eclipse. Thousands of people on the beaches below cheer loudly as the moon completely obscures the light from the sun.

Totality at 2° above the horizon

Totality seen from the hotel roof: a small bright ring above the mountains, with the lit marina below. — 20:32·1m 37s

We were so lucky that the cloud stayed away at the right time.

It looked quite likely at one point that it would be obscuring the moment of totality, but the whole beach below us and the rooftop around us erupted in cheers as the moment arrived.

Totality. The black disc of the moon ringed by the sun's corona, with pink prominences at the edge. — 04·Totality

1 minute 37 seconds of totality. The evening became night almost instantly as direct light from the sun was completely blocked. The eclipse was so low in the sky that the corona was a deep orange. You can see a solar prominence on the left hand side: an exploding loop of plasma, held by the sun’s magnetic field. You could see it with the naked eye, but at this focal length, you realise how large this feature really is.

Wide view of totality low over the mountains across the bay, with the lights of the town coming on beneath it. — 05·Landscape

What made this eclipse so amazing was how close to sunset it was. Only 2 degrees above the horizon, the lights of the streets and buildings below switch on as there is so little light. The eclipse hangs in the air above the land.

The diamond ring returning on the far side of the moon at the end of totality, low in orange-lit cloud above the mountains. — 06·End of Totality

As totality ends, the sun appears behind the other side of the moon. The sun is low on the horizon and the clouds will shortly obscure the view of the eclipse sunset.

We were so lucky to see it. We heard that others viewing on the same and neighbouring islands missed out due to cloud. There is only so much preparation you can do, and it really is rolling the dice sometimes.