On August 12, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a small area of northeastern Portugal. Other parts of Europe will experience a partial eclipse. In Spain, the eclipse will cross the country from west to east before continuing over the Balearic Islands.
This will be the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Spain since 1905, and the first of three such eclipses visible from Spain between 2026 and 2028.
400 years
An eclipse happens in a specific place only every 400 years, according to Philippe Escoubet of the European Space Agency.
"This kind of eclipse happens quite often on Earth, but at different places," Philippe Escoubet, Space Plasma Scientist at the European Space Agency, told Euronews.
Protecting your eyes
Eye-health experts recommend wearing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for viewing the eclipse. However, Gabriëlle Janssen, president of the European Council of Optometry and Optics (ECOO), told Euronews that consumers should not rely solely on the ISO number printed on the glasses, as it does not by itself guarantee that they have been properly tested. She advised buying glasses from a reputable supplier and checking them for scratches, holes or other damage before use.
The glasses should be put on before looking towards the Sun and removed only after looking away from it. "Children should be supervised carefully," Janssen said.
People without suitable eclipse glasses should not look directly at the Sun; they can follow the eclipse through a livestream, such as one provided by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Ordinary sunglasses do not provide sufficient protection against the intense visible, ultraviolet and infrared radiation from the Sun.
Looking at the Sun through a camera, binoculars or telescope can be dangerous unless the equipment has been fitted with a specially designed solar filter. Wearing eclipse glasses while looking through such equipment is not sufficient, because the concentrated sunlight can damage both the filter and the eyes.
Older methods sometimes suggested for viewing eclipses, including CDs and photographic negatives, should be avoided. Philippe Escoubet said these do not block enough light, which can be very dangerous for the eyes.
The risks of looking directly
The total phase of an eclipse lasts only a few minutes. Looking directly at the Sun can cause permanent damage to the retina, including solar retinopathy, a photochemical injury to the retinal tissue. The macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed central vision, is particularly vulnerable.
Gabriëlle Janssen said the retina has no pain receptors, so damage can occur without pain or immediate realization, and symptoms often become noticeable several hours later. Symptoms can include blurred or reduced central vision; a dark, blurred or blind spot in the centre of the visual field; distorted vision with straight lines appearing bent; changes in colour perception; and increased sensitivity to light.
Janssen advised anyone who notices blurred, reduced or distorted vision after looking at the Sun to avoid any further exposure and seek prompt assessment from an optometrist, ophthalmologist or other appropriate eye-care professional. Those with mild damage usually experience gradual improvement over the following weeks or months, but full recovery is not guaranteed. A central blind spot, reduced visual acuity or distorted vision can persist if retinal cells are permanently damaged.
There is currently no proven treatment that can reverse solar retinal damage. "Prevention through correct eye protection is therefore essential," Janssen said.
Prevention through correct eye protection is therefore essential.
— Gabriëlle Janssen, president of the European Council of Optometry and Optics
An expert encouraged people to take precautions while witnessing the solar eclipse, calling it an 'amazing celestial event'.
Updates
New details reveal that the August 12 eclipse will cover up to 90% of the Sun’s disk in southwestern Germany, such as Freiburg, while central Germany will see 86% and northeastern Rügen only 84%; the event’s maximum phase occurs around 20:10 local time, with sunset between 20:27 and 20:49 depending on location, making northwestern Germany the only region where the full partial eclipse is visible. Authorities across Europe, including Germany’s BfS, France’s health agencies, and Hamburg’s planetarium, emphasize that only ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses are safe, warn against sunglasses, camera obscura direct viewing, and unverified DIY filters, and recommend pinhole projection or livestr
New details emerge about the August 12 solar eclipse: in southwestern Germany, including Freiburg, up to 90% of the Sun’s disk will be obscured—higher than previously reported—while coverage ranges from 84% on Rügen to 86% in central Germany, with maximum phase at 20:10 local time and sunset between 20:27 and 20:49; authorities across Europe reinforce safety guidance, with the German BfS endorsing camera obscura as the safest method and specifying ISO 12312-2 certified glasses, while French and German experts warn against DIY filters, smartphone photography, welding masks, and ordinary sunglasses, stressing that retinal damage occurs without pain and only certified eclipse glasses or pinhole
New details confirm that the August 12 eclipse will reach up to 90% coverage in southwestern Germany (e.g., Freiburg), while central Germany sees 86% and northeastern Rügen only 84%, with maximum phase at 20:10 local time and sunset between 20:27 and 20:49; authorities including the German BfS, French health agencies, and planetarium directors emphasize that only ISO 12312-2-certified eclipse glasses are safe, warn against sunglasses, camera obscura direct viewing, and unfiltered photography, and recommend pinhole projection or certified filters — with demand in Hamburg surging so rapidly that stock sold out ahead of the event.
New details confirm that the August 12 partial solar eclipse will cover up to 90% of the Sun’s disk in southwestern Germany (e.g., Freiburg), while central Germany will see 86% and northeastern Rügen only 84%; the maximum phase occurs at 20:10 local time, with sunset between 20:27 and 20:49 depending on location, making northwestern Germany the only region to observe the full event. Multiple authorities, including the German BfS, French health agencies, and planetarium directors, now emphasize that only ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses are safe, warn against sunglasses, camera obscura direct viewing, and unverified DIY methods, and recommend projection techniques or official livestreams
New details reveal that the August 12 partial solar eclipse will cover up to 90% of the Sun’s disk in southwestern Germany, such as Freiburg, while central Germany will see up to 86% and northeastern Rügen only 84%; the event’s maximum phase occurs around 20:10 local time, with sunset between 20:27 and 20:49 depending on location, making northwestern Germany the only region where the full eclipse is visible. Multiple agencies, including Germany’s BfS, the French Ministry of Health, and Hamburg Planetarium, emphasize that only ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses are safe, warn against sunglasses, camera obscura direct viewing, and unverified DIY filters, and recommend projection methods or—
New details confirm that the August 12 eclipse will be the closest to total in central Germany since 1999, with up to 90% coverage in southwestern Germany (e.g., Freiburg) and 86% in central regions, while the UK will see its most extensive partial eclipse since 1999—reaching 95% in Cornwall—and the Sun will set just after maximum phase in northwest Germany, allowing full visibility; authorities now uniformly stress that only ISO 12312-2 certified glasses are safe, with camera obscura methods explicitly endorsed by Germany’s BfS and France’s astronomy associations as alternatives, while warnings against smartphone photography, unfiltered DSLRs, welding masks, and sunglasses have been widely公
New details reveal that the August 12 solar eclipse will be the closest to a total eclipse in central Germany since 1999, with up to 86% of the Sun obscured there and 90% in southwestern regions like Freiburg, while the UK will experience its most significant partial eclipse since 1999, reaching 95% coverage in Cornwall; safety authorities now emphasize that only ISO 12312-2-certified eclipse glasses are reliable, warn against using sunglasses, photographic negatives, or unfiltered cameras, and recommend pinhole projection as a safe alternative, with the European Space Agency and NASA offering official livestreams from Spain, Iceland, and other viewing sites.
