Overview
- Large crowds gathered nationwide to watch the partial solar eclipse on Wednesday evening, August 12, which peaked around 20:10–20:11 and ran roughly from 19:15 to 21:03.
- Certified eclipse glasses were sold out across shops and webstores before the event, creating a brisk resale market with some listings showing marked‑up prices from roughly €35 for multiple glasses to bids and offers of €50–€80.
- Ophthalmologists warned that looking directly at the sun during the eclipse can cause permanent retinal injury and advised only ISO 12312-2 certified glasses or indirect viewing methods as safe protection.
- Those without certified glasses used safe alternatives such as pinhole/projector methods, public observatory feeds and livestreams while experts cautioned that cameras and phone sensors can be damaged without certified solar filters.
- Universities and observatories capitalized on the clear weather to run short experiments on temperature, light and shadow effects and authorities reminded the public that a similar nationwide chance to see an eclipse this large will not return until decades from now.