A solar eclipse will take place on August 12, 2026, with its intensity varying depending on the observer’s location on Earth. Along a path stretching from Galicia in northwestern Spain to Catalonia, the eclipse will be total, with the Moon completely covering the Sun’s disk. Totality will also be visible in parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, as well as in a small area of northeastern Portugal.
However, Morocco lies outside this path. Across Morocco, the eclipse will be partial. The moon will obscure a significant portion of the sun but will never completely cover it, leaving a crescent-shaped sun and casting the moon’s shadow across the ground.
This will be the most significant eclipse visible from Morocco in over 20 years. The last comparable partial solar eclipse occurred on October 3, 2005. But why are such events relatively rare?
The irregular occurrence of solar eclipses is linked to the orbital mechanics of the Earth-Moon-Sun system. The Moon orbits the Earth, and the Earth-Moon system as a whole orbits the Sun. However, these movements are not perfectly synchronized. Due to variations in the orbits, the Moon’s shadow does not fall over the same part of Earth each time. Depending on the observer’s geographical position when the three bodies align, an eclipse can be total, partial, or invisible.
In Morocco, the eclipse will begin between 6:44 p.m. and 7:06 p.m., depending on the region. It will reach its maximum between 7:40 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and then gradually end around sunset. Thus, the entire event will take place in the late afternoon and early evening, with the sun already relatively low on the horizon when the eclipse reaches its peak.
In Casablanca, the eclipse will begin at 6:48 p.m. and reach its maximum at around 7:43 p.m., obscuring about 87% of the Sun’s disk. It will end at around 8:20 p.m., around sunset. The maximum eclipse is expected to occur at around 7:42 p.m. in Meknes and at around 7:49 p.m. in Agadir, illustrating how the timing of the eclipse varies according to geographical location.
Read also : Rare total solar eclipse to darken parts of Europe and the Arctic on August 12
Northern Morocco will have the best view
The eclipse will not be the same intensity everywhere in Morocco. It will be more pronounced in the north and gradually decrease toward the south.
The Nador region will experience the greatest obscuration in the country, with 93% of the sun’s disk covered by the moon. More than 92% of the Sun will also be obscured in Tangier, Al Hoceima, and Oujda.
Rabat will see about 88% obscuration, compared with 83% in Marrakech. Further south, the eclipse will still be clearly visible. In Dakhla, nearly 60% of the sun’s disk will be covered at maximum obscuration.
This north-to-south variation reflects Morocco’s position relative to the path of the moon’s shadow, which will pass closer to the country’s northern regions than its Saharan areas.
Strict safety precautions are essential
The eclipse must not be viewed directly under any circumstances, including when the Moon has covered a large portion of the Sun. Solar radiation can cause serious, irreversible damage to the retina, even when only a portion of the Sun is visible.
To safely observe the eclipse, viewers should use solar viewing glasses or equipment with appropriate solar radiation filters. Regular sunglasses and smoked glass do not provide sufficient protection and should not be used for this purpose.
The August 12, 2026 eclipse will also set the stage for another significant astronomical event. On August 2, 2027, a total solar eclipse will cross Morocco in the morning, stretching from Tangier to Oujda. Unlike the partial eclipse on August 12, observers in this area will be able to see the moon completely cover the sun.
