The story

Two eclipses are taking place in August. A total solar eclipse will occur on August 12, with the path of totality sweeping through the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and into northern Spain. This will be the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe in 27 years. The last one for mainland Europe was on August 11, 1999. From New England, the solar eclipse will be about 14 percent, beginning about 1:02 p.m. EDT, and cannot be observed with the naked eye. Eye protection is required to view it.

A deep partial lunar eclipse will take place on the night of August 27 into early August 28. At its peak just after midnight, 96 percent of the moon's face will slide into Earth's shadow, causing the moon to take on a reddish glow. The moon will begin to enter Earth's major shadow at 10:33 p.m., with the most coverage at 12:12 a.m., before leaving the umbra at 1:52 a.m. This is also the same night as the Sturgeon Moon, which peaks at 12:18 a.m. ET.

Astronomically, eclipses occur when the sun, moon, and Earth come into alignment. According to NASA, the sun is approximately 400 times larger than the moon but also about 400 times farther away from Earth. This proportion is why the two appear identical in size from Earth. Solar eclipses occur during a new moon when the moon passes between Earth and the sun. Lunar eclipses occur when Earth moves between the sun and moon.