Overview
- The eclipse is set for 12 August 2026 and will be a deep partial event across Nordrhein-Westfalen with roughly 90 percent of the Sun covered at maximum, with local timings published by Planetarium Bochum and regional outlets.
- Planetarium Bochum gives a regional schedule of about 19:17 start, ~20:11 maximum and ~21:03 end while Köln-specific times peak near 20:12:49 and the Sun will set during the eclipse, making horizon timing critical.
- Public outreach is widespread: planetaria, observatories and astronomy groups in NRW plan in-person viewings, a Planetarium Bochum livestream and some venues will relay totality feeds from parts of Spain where the eclipse is total.
- The Federal Office for Radiation Protection strongly warns against direct, unaided viewing and advises certified ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses, projection methods or proper solar filters for telescopes and cameras because ordinary sunglasses are unsafe.
- Observers are urged to secure elevated sites with a clear west-northwest horizon—Köln’s Sun will be only about 6° above the horizon at maximum—and to test camera and filter setups in advance while the Perseid meteor peak offers an added viewing attraction.