France Prepares for August 12 Solar Eclipse with Strict Eye‑Safety Rules

Overview

• A solar eclipse will occur on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, visible as a partial eclipse across France in the late afternoon and early evening and as a total eclipse only along a narrow track through parts of Spain, Greenland and Iceland.
• Timing and visibility vary by location with the phenomenon lasting roughly 1 hour 45 minutes across France, local peaks near 18:20–19:20 and obscuration reaching about 99% in the south‑west and around 90% in the far north.
• Health authorities and ophthalmologists say looking at the Sun without certified filters risks painless, potentially irreversible retinal damage and they require ISO 12312-2/CE‑marked eclipse glasses for any direct viewing outside the brief interval of totality.
• Regulators (DGCCRF) have begun checks for counterfeit or unsafe eclipse glasses and officials advise limiting each direct‑viewing sequence to about three minutes, using indirect projection methods when certified filters are unavailable, and fitting proper solar filters on cameras or telescopes to avoid eye or sensor damage.
• Officials say outdoor activities may continue if observers keep eye protection, though reduced light could affect sports, travel and crowding, and the event is rare for France with the last total eclipse in 1999 and the next not until 2081.