A total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of the Northern Hemisphere on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but don’t expect another April 2024-style show in North Carolina.

The Moon will completely cover the Sun along a path stretching across Greenland and Iceland, over the North Atlantic and into Spain and a part of Portugal, while much of the rest of Europe and parts of Africa and North America will see a partial eclipse.

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A partial eclipse will be visible northeast of a line extending from Alaska to North Carolina. The farther north you go, the more of the Sun will be covered: Anchorage will see about 28% of the Sun covered; Bangor, Maine, about 24%; New York City about 9%; and Washington, D.C. about 4%. 

The northeastern corner of North Carolina will see no more than a sliver of the Sun covered by the Moon.

North Carolina sits on the very southern edge of the eclipse’s visibility. About half the state, northeast of a line extending from Eden to Jacksonville, will technically see the Moon pass in front of the Sun, but the amount of obscuration is so small that it won’t be noticeable even when viewed through eclipse glasses.  

At the greatest eclipse, the Moon will take a barely noticeable 1.8% bite out of the Sun just before 2 p.m. for viewers along northern parts of the Outer Banks. Further south near Emerald Isle, the Moon will block an even less noticeable 0.03%.

If you do attempt to view the eclipse, the same rules apply as they did during the more spectacular show in April 2024. Never look directly at a partial eclipse. Well-cared-for eclipse glasses should be fine, but inspect them for damage before use.

For those who want to see totality, the closest options are outside the United States. Reykjavik, Iceland, will experience totality for about a minute beginning at 5:48 p.m. local time, while Spain will see totality shortly before sunset.

The next solar eclipse visible from North Carolina will also be a partial one on Jan. 26, 2028. It will be equally unimpressive. A Jan. 14, 2029, partial eclipse will deliver a much more noticeable one-third of the Sun obscured by the Moon.

The next total solar eclipse path passing through central North Carolina isn't for another 72 years.