Overview
- The eclipse takes place Wednesday evening, 12 August 2026, and will peak in Germany roughly between 20:05 and 20:20 local time with about 84–90 percent of the Sun covered depending on location.
- Totality is limited to a narrow corridor that crosses parts of Spain (including Mallorca), Iceland and Greenland, and broadcasters and ESA are streaming images from those locations for viewers elsewhere.
- Opticians, planetariums and museums reported heavy last‑minute demand and many sellouts for certified eclipse glasses that meet EN ISO 12312-2 with CE marking, leaving some people queuing or seeking alternative viewing methods.
- Authorities and eye specialists strongly advise using certified eclipse glasses or indirect methods such as a camera obscura, pinhole projection or tree‑leaf projections because direct viewing can cause permanent retinal damage.
- Grid operators say the eclipse will cause a short, weather‑dependent drop in photovoltaic feed‑in but will not affect power supply, and the same night brings the Perseids meteor peak, adding public interest and pressure on viewing sites.