Overview
- The path and timing are confirmed for 12 August 2026, with the Moon’s umbral shadow crossing the North Atlantic into north‑east Spain and the Balearic Islands where totality will last up to about two minutes at some sites.
- Most of continental Europe will experience a deep partial eclipse that evening, with coverage roughly 84–90 percent in Germany and city maxima concentrated between about 19:00 and 20:30 MESZ depending on location.
- Because the event happens close to local sunset the Sun will sit very low on the west horizon, so observers must choose sites with an unobstructed western horizon or risk the Sun setting before the eclipse ends.
- National health and astronomy bodies including the Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz advise using certified solar‑eclipse eyewear (DIN EN ISO 12312‑2) or indirect projection methods and warn that ordinary sunglasses and improvised filters are unsafe for direct viewing or for unfiltered optics.
- The night of 12–13 August also brings the Perseids meteor maximum under a New Moon with mixed forecasts for rates, and Spain expects higher tourist demand in totality zones while a partial lunar eclipse on 28 August will be difficult to observe from many locations.