The knife-edge view from Greenland

The knife-edge view from Greenland

On August 12, the Moon's shadow swept from the Arctic Ocean across Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic, Portugal, and northern Spain — and for one brief, clear moment, a total solar eclipse was visible. Captured at Rype Fjord at 17:33:26 UTC, this APOD image may be among the first unobstructed views of the totally eclipsed Sun, diamond ring included, with the solar corona emerging right as totality began.

Gobble's Take: Sail through bad weather, find the one gap in the clouds, catch a cosmic diamond ring. Honestly, worse days exist. Source: NASA News Releases

Spain's two-minute front-row seat

On August 12, 2026, northern Spain watched the Moon slide directly between the Sun and Earth, with totality lasting about two minutes — starting at 8:28 p.m. local time in León. NASA Earth Observatory's composite photo, shot before, during, and after the eclipse from a flower field in San Millán de los Caballeros south of León, caught a solar prominence glowing in the corona. Greenland and Iceland shared the path of totality; the rest got a partial show.

Gobble's Take: Two minutes. That's all totality gave them. The Sun is not known for its generosity. Source: NASA News Releases

The 2026 space scoreboard

NASA's Artemis II will send astronauts around the Moon for the first time since 1972. Blue Origin's Blue Moon MK1 will test a cargo lander for future lunar supply runs. And the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — packing a 300-megapixel camera and a five-year mission — could launch as early as fall 2026, with more than 100,000 distant exoplanets in its sights.

Gobble's Take: The 2026 theme is clear: get back to the Moon, or map everything else. Preferably both. Source: RocketSTEM

Tomorrow: the source does not specify what comes next for total solar eclipses.

In Case You Missed It

Yesterday's top stories:

• Spain's 121-year wait ends with a shadow and a cathedral
• Artemis II: the mission where "not landing" is the whole point
• Webb looks at the Lion Nebula and makes Hubble feel old