ESA Video Highlights the 12 August 2026 Total Solar Eclipse

The European Space Agency has released a short video previewing the total solar eclipse of 12 August 2026, featuring two of its astronauts.

This article was drafted with AI assistance from multiple sources and was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has published a short explainer video previewing the total solar eclipse scheduled for 12 August 2026, framing the event as an unusually notable one for skywatchers.

Running about two and a half minutes, the video walks viewers through what to expect from the eclipse. Among the topics it covers are the path of totality, the zone in which the Moon fully blocks the Sun, and Baily's beads, described as a spectacular effect visible during the event.

A recurring point in ESA's presentation is timing. The agency notes that the 2026 eclipse will be especially striking because it occurs at sunset, a circumstance it cites as one of the features making the event particularly memorable.

ESA presents the material as a list of things to know before the eclipse. There is a small discrepancy in how the agency labels that list: the English-language description refers to eight things to know, while the accompanying Spanish text refers to nine. The core details in both versions—totality, Baily's beads and the sunset timing—are the same.

The video features two members of ESA's astronaut corps. Sara García Alonso is identified as an ESA reserve astronaut, while Pablo Álvarez Fernández is described as an ESA astronaut candidate in training. Both appear to help explain what makes the upcoming eclipse worth watching.

The preview was published on 10 July 2026, roughly a month ahead of the eclipse itself. ESA offers it as an introduction to the event for a general audience rather than as a technical briefing, emphasizing the visual character of the eclipse over detailed observation logistics.