Surya Grahan 2026: Total Solar Eclipse on August 12–13 — Date, Time, India Visibility, Sutak Timings

The eclipse falls on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, which also marks Hariyali Amavasya (Shravan Amavasya). While many news reports have caused confusion over the date, the event takes place on August 12 globally, with some phases extending into the early hours of August 13 in Indian Standard Time.

Since India uses a single time zone, these clock timings hold across the country — from Punjab to Tamil Nadu.

According to NASA, the path of totality — where the Moon completely covers the Sun — runs across Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, northern Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. The total phase will last up to 2 minutes 18 seconds at its maximum over the North Atlantic.

A partial eclipse will be visible across most of Europe, parts of North America (from Alaska to North Carolina), most of Canada, and northwestern Africa. For many viewers in mainland Europe and Africa, the Sun will set while still eclipsed — creating a rare “sunset eclipse.”

This is the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999, making it a historic event for European skygazers.

No. The eclipse occurs during nighttime hours in India, when the Sun is well below the horizon everywhere in the country. At the moment of maximum eclipse (11:16 PM IST), the Sun sits more than 40 degrees below the horizon at Delhi — so there is nothing in the Indian sky to be eclipsed.

No. As per Hindu tradition, Sutak Kaal (the inauspicious period before a solar eclipse) applies only when the eclipse is actually visible at your location. Since this eclipse cannot be seen from India:

• No restriction on cooking or eating
• Temples will remain open
• Daily puja and rituals continue as normal
• Hariyali Amavasya observances (snan, daan, tarpan) follow their usual muhurat

Indian space enthusiasts can still catch the spectacle online. NASA will stream the eclipse live starting at 1:15 PM EDT (10:45 PM IST) on August 12 at nasa.gov/live, with the peak totality visible on Indian screens around 11:16 PM.

For those travelling to see the eclipse, or viewing the partial phases in Europe and North America:

• Never look directly at the Sun — use certified eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer
• Regular sunglasses, camera lenses, or telescopes without solar filters are not safe
• Use the pinhole projector method for indirect viewing
• Never look at the Sun through a pinhole

The next solar eclipse that will actually be visible from India is on August 2, 2027, when a partial eclipse will be seen across the country — deeper in the south — and Sutak Kaal will genuinely apply that day.

Disclaimer: Sutak and ritual-related details are based on traditional beliefs and are provided for informational purposes only.

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