A NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day entry published on August 13, 2026, reported that the Moon totally eclipsed the Sun on August 12, 2026, casting its shadow across Siberia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Portugal. The image featured two views of totality from Zaragoza, Spain: one over the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and another reflected in the Ebro River. According to the report, Spain saw its first major total solar eclipse since 1905.

The entry’s explanation described phenomena reported by those in the path of totality, including a chill in the air, quieting birds, confused insect chirps and shared awe. It noted that eclipse studies help scientists understand why the Sun’s corona is millions of degrees hotter than the Sun’s surface, and it listed citizen contributions such as recording wildlife responses, imaging the corona and monitoring air temperature and clouds.

The image was credited to Ruiyu Zhang, with authors and editors listed as Keighley Rockcliffe, Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell and Cecilia Chirenti. NASA described the feature as a service of its Astrophysics Science Division at Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Science Activation and Michigan Technological University.