Overview
- A large partial eclipse will pass over the Netherlands on Wednesday evening, 12 August 2026, starting around 19:15, peaking about 20:09–20:11 and ending near 21:00–21:03, with roughly 88–90 percent of the Sun obscured.
- Ophthalmologists warn that looking directly at the partly eclipsed Sun without ISO 12312-2 / CE certified eclipse glasses can cause severe and possibly permanent retinal damage that may be painless at first.
- Certified eclipse glasses are largely sold out across shops and online, so authorities and observatories are urging people to use safe indirect methods such as pinhole/projector setups or to watch organised livestreams from universities and planetariums.
- TenneT has modelled an expected temporary loss of about 1.3 gigawatts of solar output and has put grid‑management measures and European coordination plans in place to keep supply balanced during the evening dip.
- The event is rare for the Netherlands with no comparable eclipse until decades ahead, so organisers warn people to prioritise safe viewing and note the eclipse will offer wide local viewing from coasts, open water and high vantage points if skies remain clear.