Global Streaming and Scientific Research to Mark August 12 Solar Eclipse

A total solar eclipse will occur on August 12, crossing a path that includes the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, the North Atlantic, and parts of Europe. While the phase of totality will not be visible from the United States, various northern regions of the country will observe a partial eclipse. In Italy, the event will be partial, with some northwest regions expecting approximately 90 percent coverage. The eclipse will be widely available via streaming on platforms including YouTube, X, Facebook, Netflix, Twitch, and Amazon Prime. NASA will begin its live broadcast at 13:15 Eastern Time, while the European Space Agency will host a broadcast from the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory in Spain.

Scientific organizations are utilizing the event for extensive research. NASA is supporting a high altitude research aircraft to study the solar corona and a ballooning project involving university students in Iceland and Spain to study the Earth's atmosphere. The European Space Agency will use the Solar Orbiter probe to map the Sun's magnetic fields. Additionally, a joint Italian and Irish team will use the E-CorMag telescope from an Irish Air Corps Airbus to study the solar corona, and a mission involving the University of Bologna and the University of Padua will search for hypothetical vulcanoids in northeast Spain.

Experts warn that direct observation of the Sun without certified filters can cause permanent retinal damage. For those in Italy, the eclipse is expected to occur around 19:30, coinciding with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Astronomer Gianluca Masi notes that the absence of moonlight will provide ideal conditions for viewing the meteors, which are fragments from the comet Swift-Tuttle.