Overview
- The partial solar eclipse will be visible over Paris on 12 August, with the city expected to reach near-total obscuration around the evening peak and the event lasting roughly an hour.
- The Association française d'astronomie (AFA) will deploy teams and telescopes at Parc André-Citroën from early evening to advise visitors and run guided observations.
- Several elevated and central sites have special arrangements for viewers, including the Arc de Triomphe staying open late with reduced entry of €16 and free access for EU residents under 26, and the Philharmonie opening its roof for the evening.
- Experts warn that looking at the Sun without ISO-certified eclipse glasses can cause irreversible retinal burns, and they say viewers must use proper protection for the entire event because regular sunglasses are unsafe.
- Cloud cover, local horizon obstructions and light pollution will affect visibility, and those who stay later may also see the Perseids meteor shower peak in the early hours of 13 August if skies clear.