Although the solar eclipse can be seen throughout the country and islands, there is only one region where the phenomenon can be seen in its entirety. Still, the coverage of the solar disk will be above 90% across the continental territory.
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22/07/2026
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Sit is next month, on August 12th, that it will be possible to watch a total eclipse of the Sun from Portugal. On previous occasions, the phenomenon was only observable in other countries, but next month we will also have the opportunity to enjoy this event.
However, it is important to stress that the total eclipse of the Sun will not be observed in the same way throughout the continental territory. As the Meteo Trás os Montes page notes on Facebook, the solar disk will only be 100% covered to the north of the country, with those responsible to elect the village of Rio de Onor as the “privileged place” to observe the phenomenon.
As we move south, there will be an ever smaller percentage of solar disk coverage but luckily it will never be below 90%. In Faro, for example, the solar disk will be 92.7% covered and, even if it is a partial eclipse, it will still be “very expressive”.
Needless to say, the right weather conditions will have to be gathered to observe this solar eclipse, so it is not guaranteed that all sites are clear enough to admire the phenomenon.
“ During the maximum phase of the eclipse, the temperature may drop slightly, the ambient light gain a different shade and some animals may change their behavior, creating a sensation similar to nightfall ", writes on Facebook the page Meteo Tras os Montes.
These are not, however, the only care you will have with the solar eclipse of August 12.
Astrophysicist alert for use of certified glasses
Astrophysicist Pedro Machado warned that the use of certified glasses for the observation of the solar eclipse, on August 12, under penalty of serious eye injuries, which can be irreparable.
The scientist and national commissioner for the eclipse of the Sun 2026 was in Bragança, today, where he addressed scientific discoveries and curiosities about this phenomenon and warned the care to have during observation, which should not be “in continuous time”, that is, “one should look for a few seconds and look away”.
“If you look at the sun, you must always do it with your glasses. Anywhere, in the Algarve, Alentejo, in Tras-os-Montes (...) and even where there is the total eclipse is only when it stays at night that they can take off their glasses for 26 seconds ", he said.
According to Pedro Machado, the glasses must be certified, leaving “only one part in a thousand of sunlight”, insufficient to cause eye lesions, and can be purchased at the Centro de Ciência Viva de Bragança, but also in pharmacies.
It also left the alert for the use of cameras, binoculars and telescopes with adequate protection for this purpose, for direct viewing. Otherwise, besides damaging the devices, it also causes serious damage to the retina.
“ You have to be careful, period. There is no average care, there is not being careful or careful. Please, everyone be careful”, he said.
The eclipse of the sun happens when the Earth, the Moon and the Sun are aligned, and the Moon totally or partially hides the solar disk for a few moments. In Portugal, the last total eclipse took place in 1912.
The astrophysicist speaks of a phenomenon “rare”, “fascinating” and “only in our lives”, that “is worth watching”.
“Being 99%, being 99.9% or 98% is almost the same. There is a small difference when you stay at night, which is only at one point, but there are some contingencies in relation to this subject, there you see stars during the day, per night, it is very short, it is 26 seconds and eventually you will see the solar crown ", he stressed.
In addition to the darkness, other events, such as shadows, are expected in the shape of the sun, and wind. “The eclipse wind will be seen all over the country, the projection under the apertures, the solar disk, with the eclipse going on, will be seen all over the country, even in the Azores and Madeira,” he added.
In Portugal, the total eclipse will not happen again for more than 100 years. However, as early as next year this rare phenomenon can be seen in southern Spain and Tunisia.