Total Solar Eclipse Approaching: Spain Becomes Prime Viewing Spot on August 12, 2026

Outside Spain, the umbra continues across the sea, brushes Iceland, crosses Greenland, and ends in the evening in the region between Siberia and northeastern Russia. Millions of people in these areas can follow the event in full under clear skies.

Progression in Germany and Central Europe

In Germany, only a partial solar eclipse will be visible. Depending on location, the Moon will cover between ten and 20 percent of the solar disk. The greatest obscuration is expected in the northwest and in southern Bavaria, while in the north it will be less pronounced due to the Sun's lower altitude. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) has published a dedicated information page for the event.

Eye Protection: What the BfS Recommends

The BfS warns against dangerous trends circulating on the internet and makes clear: Without certified protective eyewear bearing the marking "ISO 12312-2" or an equivalent filter, severe eye damage is a risk. Improvised homemade aids are no alternative either.

"The direct view of the sun can damage the eye even then," the statement reads. The BfS warns against tips circulating on the internet: black film strips, glass blackened with candle soot, folded rescue blankets, sunglasses, welding goggles or glacier goggles, X-ray images, and CDs offer no reliable protection for the eyes and are in fact dangerous.

Special eclipse glasses from specialist retailers that meet the aforementioned ISO standard are permitted. Children should be accompanied by adults throughout the entire observation, as they are particularly at risk due to careless looking. Even regular sunglasses, even with very dark tinting, do not provide adequate protection.

Public Observations and Livestreams

Astronomy societies, planetariums, and observatories in the German-speaking world are organizing public observations at safe locations. Schools and adult education centers offer events with explanations of the celestial event's progression. The next total solar eclipse visible from Central Europe is not expected until September 3, 2081.

For those unable to follow the event in person, several scientific institutes are planning livestreams featuring footage from the path of totality. The European Space Agency ESA has also announced its own broadcasts from Spain. Those wishing to travel should book accommodations early, as the affected regions of Spain are expected to see a sharp increase in tourist numbers.

Following the 2026 totality, the next total solar eclipse already follows on August 2, 2027, with its umbra passing over, among others, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. In Central Europe, however, the 2026 event with its partial phase remains the only one of this magnitude in the current decade.