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The next total solar eclipse after this August's event will not take place until August 2, 2027.
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On August 12, people in many places will be looking up at the sky: a solar eclipse is coming. The spectacle will also be partially visible in Switzerland. blue News answers the most important questions about it.
The next solar eclipse visible in Central Europe will take place on August 12, 2026. In some regions, it will be dark for a few minutes as the Moon—as seen from Earth—completely blocks the Sun.
This celestial event is particularly easy to observe:
This celestial spectacle has fascinated people since time immemorial. Here is the partial solar eclipse in March 2025 over Heilbronn (Germany).
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The exact times vary by location. However, the phase of totality—that is, the narrow strip on the Earth’s surface where the total solar eclipse is fully visible—roughly falls between late afternoon and early evening.
The totality will last the longest—two minutes and 18 seconds—about 100 kilometers west of the Icelandic coast, off the Hvallátur archipelago.
In Spain, the path of totality runs from A Coruña on the Atlantic coast through León, Zaragoza, and Valencia. It then reaches the islands of Mallorca and Ibiza at roughly the same time and ends with the sunset over the Mediterranean Sea.
The duration of totality along this stretch in Spain will range from one to two minutes, depending on the location. Since the total solar eclipse in Spain will occur around 8:30 p.m., the Sun will already be low in the west-northwest.
When choosing the exact location for observing the eclipse, it is therefore important to have as unobstructed a view as possible in that direction.
In other countries, the event can be seen as a partial solar eclipse. This means that the Moon will only partially block the Sun. Depending on your location, the Sun will appear as a narrow crescent in the sky.
The (partial) solar eclipse can also be observed from Central Europe—including Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. However, as seen from here, the Moon does not completely cover the Sun, but only 85 to 90 percent of it.
According to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the phenomenon begins here around 7:00 p.m. and ends around 9:00 p.m. The solar eclipse will reach its peak between approximately 8:15 p.m. and 8:20 p.m., when the Moon will almost completely cover the Sun. The phenomenon is particularly well visible from elevated locations with an unobstructed view.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon’s shadow falls on the Earth. It is important to distinguish between the penumbra and the umbra. On August 12, Central Europe will be in the penumbra only, meaning the Moon will cover only part of the Sun. Astronomers refer to such an eclipse as a partial eclipse.
In the umbra, on the other hand, the Sun is completely covered by the Moon; the solar eclipse is total. It is a fortunate astronomical coincidence that the Moon is able to cover the Sun almost exactly.
Although the Sun’s diameter is 400 times larger than that of the Moon, it is also 400 times farther from Earth than the Moon. That is why, when viewed from Earth, both celestial bodies appear to be about the same size. However, there are slight differences.
Because the Moon's orbit around the Earth is not exactly circular but slightly elliptical, the distance between the Earth and the Moon varies slightly. That is why the Moon's apparent size in the sky also changes.
If, during an eclipse, the Moon happens to be near the point in its orbit farthest from Earth, it is slightly too small to completely cover the Sun’s disk. The result: Instead of a total eclipse, an annular eclipse—which is equally impressive—occurs.
When totality begins, there is an abrupt drop in brightness. Within seconds, a sort of late twilight sets in, and some bright stars and planets appear in the sky. Venus will be particularly noticeable during this eclipse, shining about 45 degrees to the left of the Sun.
The solar corona is the Sun's outer, extremely hot atmosphere, which can usually only be seen during a total solar eclipse.
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During totality, the corona shines around the black disk of the Sun, which is obscured by the Moon. This halo of light is the Sun’s outer atmosphere—extremely稀薄 gas that glows due to its high temperature of over one million degrees. This temperature is surprisingly high, since the Sun’s surface is only 6,000 degrees Celsius.
The total solar eclipse of May 12, 1706, is considered one of the most spectacular natural events in Swiss history, as described at ETH Zurich reports. Under clear skies, it was visible throughout the country and lasted nearly four minutes.
Contemporary chronicles describe how the sky darkened, stars became visible, and animals changed their behavior: birds returned to their nests, while bats flew through the cities.
In 2015, a partial solar eclipse occurred in Switzerland. This photo was taken in Lucerne at that time.
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Another total solar eclipse on May 22, 1724, could also have been observed in large parts of Switzerland. However, since the maximum eclipse occurred shortly before sunset and thick clouds were likely present, the event went largely unnoticed.
In the 20th century, total solar eclipses narrowly missed Switzerland each time. In 1912 and 1961, however, large portions of the sun were obscured. The partial solar eclipse of August 11, 1999, is considered one of the most significant astronomical events in recent Swiss history.
A total solar eclipse won't be visible in Switzerland again until 2081.
Total solar eclipses are among the most impressive astronomical events. In the past—especially in antiquity and the Middle Ages—people would look up at the sky in fear when the Moon swallowed the Sun. In many places, solar eclipses were regarded as ominous omens or divine warnings.
It was not until the early modern period—particularly from the 17th and 18th centuries onward—that this perspective began to change: Solar eclipses were increasingly observed in a targeted manner and provided science with valuable insights, for example, into the motion of celestial bodies or the structure of the Sun.
Today, millions of tourists travel to the path of totality to see the corona of the eclipsed sun light up for a few minutes.
In the past, people feared solar eclipses; today, they are celebrated.
Eduardo Resendiz/dpa
A solar eclipse is fascinating because it allows us to directly observe and experience a cosmic event. In the middle of the day, the sky darkens and temperatures drop noticeably.
Although the Moon orbits the Earth about once a month, a solar eclipse does not occur every month. This is because the Moon’s orbit is slightly tilted relative to the Earth’s orbit.
The Moon usually misses the exact line between the Earth and the Sun. As seen from Earth, it usually passes above or below the Sun. There are about two to three solar eclipses worldwide each year, always in different locations.
You should never look directly at the sun during a solar eclipse without protection, especially not through binoculars or a telescope. Even in a fraction of a second, you can suffer permanent damage to your retina.
Specialty retailers offer special solar eclipse glasses, and there are special filters available for optical devices. Making your own filters—for example, from soot-blackened glass—is not recommended. This is because they often block only visible light, but not the even more dangerous thermal radiation.
There are special safety glasses that you should wear during a solar eclipse.
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According to the FOPH, safety glasses must be certified in accordance with the ISO 12312-2:2015 standard and bear a CE mark. In addition, you should not make your own glasses or wear ordinary sunglasses, as these are not sufficient.
Only during totality—when absolutely no rays of sunlight are passing past the Moon—may you briefly remove your eclipse glasses. But as soon as even the tiniest part of the Sun becomes visible again, you must put your eclipse glasses back on. Otherwise, the intense radiation can immediately damage your eyes.
The next total solar eclipse following the August event will take place on August 2, 2027. The Moon’s umbra will pass over North Africa and the Strait of Gibraltar, touching, among other places, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt.
It will be visible as a partial or annular eclipse over parts of Spain, the eastern Mediterranean, and Greece. The phenomenon will also be visible as a partial solar eclipse in Switzerland and Germany.
Since brightness and temperature decrease during a total solar eclipse, much like at dusk, this change triggers reactions typical of twilight in many animals and also in some plants.
This is when birds often stop singing and head for their roosts. And while diurnal animals such as squirrels, rabbits, and lizards also retreat to their hiding places, nocturnal animals such as bats, hedgehogs, and—in Spain, in particular—the wall gecko may briefly come out to be active.
Some plants also react to the dimming of the sun. For example, midday flowers close their blossoms, while evening primroses open theirs. However, since totality lasts only briefly, both animals and plants immediately return to their normal state when the sun reappears.
12.07.2026, 19:16
30.07.2026, 11:37
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