Overview
- A total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026 will track across Greenland, Iceland and parts of Spain and northwest Portugal while Germany sees a deep partial eclipse.
- In Germany the partial phase begins roughly between 19:17 and 19:23 depending on location, reaches maximum around 20:11–20:15 with about 90–92% coverage in southern areas, and ends at or near sunset.
- Health and safety authorities say only CE‑marked eclipse eyewear conforming to DIN EN ISO 12312-2:2015 or indirect projection methods are safe and that cameras, binoculars or telescopes require proper solar filters to avoid permanent eye damage.
- The Perseid meteor shower peaks the night of 12–13 August and the New Moon removes moonlight, creating unusually dark skies that could yield very high meteor rates if weather and light pollution allow.
- Planetariums, observatories and museums across Germany are running talks and public viewing events, and experts advise viewers to seek dark, unobstructed northwest horizons such as Sauerland, Münsterland or the Eifel Dark‑Sky Reserve.