Overview
- The total solar eclipse will occur on 12 August 2026 and sweep from the North Atlantic across Iceland to northern Spain and the Balearic Islands, with the global totality window running roughly between 19:00 and 20:30 Central European Summer Time.
- Germany will not see totality but will witness a deep partial eclipse that covers about 84–93 percent of the Sun depending on the city, so broadcasters and streams will be the primary way for Germans to view the full event.
- ZDF has announced live coverage from Mallorca including a Terra X special with Harald Lesch and on‑air plans that may interrupt regular programming to carry the totality sequence.
- Destinations inside the path of totality, especially in Iceland and parts of Spain, are reporting heavy bookings, sharply higher accommodation prices, special cruises and organized tours, and local authorities are planning for visitor surges and traffic management.
- Experts and health authorities warn spectators to use certified eclipse glasses and properly filtered optics to avoid retinal injury, and observers are also eyeing the Perseids meteor shower the night after the eclipse because the new moon will make conditions unusually dark for meteor watching.