Overview
- A total solar eclipse will cross the North Atlantic, hit parts of Iceland and a narrow strip of northern Portugal, northern Spain and the Balearic Islands on 12 August 2026 while much of Germany will see a strong partial eclipse.
- Observers in Germany should expect the partial eclipse to begin roughly between 19:10 and 19:23 local time, reach maximum cover around 20:07–20:15 and end with sunset roughly between 20:54 and 21:08 depending on city.
- The German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) and astronomers say only certified eclipse filters meeting DIN EN ISO 12312-2:2015 with CE marking or indirect projection methods are safe and that ordinary sunglasses, improvised darkening or unfiltered binoculars, telescopes or camera lenses can cause irreversible retinal damage.
- Planetariums, observatories and amateur groups are running public viewing programmes and the European Space Agency will livestream from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre in Teruel for viewers who cannot reach the narrow totality corridor.
- The eclipse coincides with the Perseids meteor peak the following night, a timing that is driving short‑term travel to Spain and Iceland, straining local accommodation and certified-equipment supplies and raising warnings about counterfeit or inadequate eclipse glasses.