Rare partial solar eclipse visible in Maine skies Wednesday

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

The moon will appear to take a cosmic bite out of the sun on Wednesday afternoon, offering Maine sky watchers a celestial show in their own backyards as about a quarter of the sun goes dark for two hours. It will be the last time that any part of the sun will be eclipsed in Maine skies until 2045. In Bangor, the eclipse begins at 12:54 p.m. and will reach its maximum coverage of about 24% at 1:53 p.m. before ending at about 2:49 p.m. The “bite” visible from Portland will be a little smaller, peaking at 19% obscurity. The timing remains consistent within a minute or two.