On the evening of August 12, 2026, the Moon will cover more than 90 percent of the Sun over parts of Germany, the deepest partial eclipse the country has had in years, and the last this deep until 2075. Meanwhile, in northern Spain, the Sun will disappear completely for a couple of minutes, in the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 2006.
Here's what's actually happening, and how to watch it safely.
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun, blocking it from view. It only looks so dramatic because of a strange coincidence: the Sun is about 400 times bigger than the Moon, but also about 400 times farther away. So from Earth, they appear almost exactly the same size.
If you're standing in exactly the right spot, the Moon covers the Sun completely, this is called a total eclipse, and it turns day briefly into night. Everywhere else nearby, you only get a partial eclipse: the Moon covers part of the Sun, but not all of it. That's what Germany will see.
The total eclipse, the real blackout, will only be visible along a narrow path across the top of the world. It starts over northern Siberia, then crosses near the North Pole and over Greenland before reaching Iceland. The longest totality of the entire eclipse, 2 minutes and 18 seconds, happens just offshore, off Iceland's west coast. Reykjavik itself, being on land, gets a shorter but still solid 1 minute of totality.
From there, it races across the Atlantic and reaches northern Spain and a small part of Portugal, before sweeping over the Balearic Islands and fading out over the Mediterranean Sea. In Spain, the blackout is short but real, the city of Burgos gets about 1 minute and 48 seconds of total darkness. If you're chasing the full experience, this is rare. Germany hasn't seen a total eclipse since 1999, and won't see another one until 2081.
Germany isn't in the path of the total eclipse, so the Sun won't fully disappear here. But the Moon will still cover between 84 and 90 percent of it, depending on where you are, and according to DLR, Germany's aerospace research center, this level of coverage won't be seen again in the country until July 13, 2075.
The eclipse moves across the country from northeast to southwest during the evening. In Germany, the partial solar eclipse will begin in the northeast, reaching Greifswald at 7:12 p.m. and Munich at 7:23 p.m. The exact amount of the Sun that gets covered depends on where you are:
Across Germany, the eclipse reaches its peak sometime between 20:05 and 20:15, and it ends everywhere as the Sun sets, close to 21:00.
The Sun will be low in the sky the whole time, so find a spot with an open view toward the northwest or west, a hill, a rooftop, or open field works well. Many observatories and astronomy clubs across Germany are hosting public viewing events that evening, some even showing a live stream of the total eclipse from Spain.
Once the eclipse is over and the Sun has set, don't head inside just yet. That same night is also the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Under German viewing conditions, you can expect around 20 shooting stars an hour at best, with the strongest window falling between 22:00 and 23:00.
This is the part people underestimate. Even when 90 percent of the Sun is covered, the small sliver that's left is still bright enough to damage your eyes, and it won't hurt while it's happening. Your eyes don't have pain receptors, so you won't notice the damage until later, when it's too late. This isn't a small risk. After the 2024 total eclipse in the United States, searches for "my eyes hurt" spiked online, a sign that a lot of people looked without protection.
So get proper eclipse glasses, ones marked with the safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015. Regular sunglasses won't protect you, no matter how dark they are. And if you're using binoculars or a telescope, make sure the filter is fitted over the front lens, never behind the eyepiece, where it can overheat and crack.
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