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Solar eclipse 2026

2026 had two solar eclipses: an annular solar eclipse on February 17 and a total solar eclipse on August 12. On August 12 it was partial from Germany, Austria and Switzerland: the Moon covered 85% to 91% of the Sun, depending on the place.

As of Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 13:00 UTC

Solar eclipses of 2026 at a glance

All times in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). London: UTC in winter, UTC+1 in summer. New York: UTC−5 in winter, UTC−4 in summer.

DateKindMaximumGermany/Austria/Switzerland
Tue, Feb 17, 2026Annular solar eclipse12:12 UTCnot visible
Wed, Aug 12, 2026Total solar eclipse17:46 UTCpartial, up to 91%

Annular solar eclipse on February 17, 2026

It cannot be seen from Germany, Austria or Switzerland.

Among the places we checked, it is annular in Mirny Station (Antarctica) (1 min 48 s), Concordia Station (Antarctica) (2 min 6 s). The annular phase lasts longest, 2 min 16 s, at the point of greatest eclipse (64.7° S, 86.7° E). It is partial elsewhere too, for example in Cape Town, Johannesburg.

Kind
Annular solar eclipse
Greatest eclipse
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 12:12 UTC
Magnitude
0.9630
Longest annular phase
2 min 16 s

Where it is annular

Places from our list that lie in the band. Times in UTC.

PlaceBeginsDurationSun altitude
Mirny Station (Antarctica)12:07 UTC1 min 48 s10°
Concordia Station (Antarctica)11:47 UTC2 min 6 s5°

Total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland it is partial. In Berlin it begins at 17:15 UTC and is greatest at 18:08 UTC: the Moon then covers 85% of the Sun's area, with the Sun 4° above the horizon, very low. Depending on the place, the Moon covers 85% (Berlin) to 91% (Zurich) of the Sun. Everywhere the Sun sets before the eclipse ends; you need a clear view of the horizon.

Among the places we checked, it is total in Reykjavík (1 min 5 s), Ísafjörður (1 min 34 s), A Coruña (1 min 20 s), Oviedo (1 min 51 s), Bilbao (36 s), León (1 min 48 s), Burgos (1 min 46 s), Valladolid (1 min 32 s), Zaragoza (1 min 27 s), Valencia (1 min 6 s), Palma (Majorca) (1 min 39 s), Ibiza (1 min 10 s). The total phase lasts longest, 2 min 21 s, at the point of greatest eclipse (65.2° N, 25.2° W). It is partial elsewhere too, for example in Akureyri, Ittoqqortoormiit (Greenland), Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Porto, Seville, Cádiz, Tarifa, Málaga, Gibraltar, Tangier.

Kind
Total solar eclipse
Greatest eclipse
Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 17:46 UTC
Magnitude
1.0387
Longest totality
2 min 21 s

The view from Germany, Austria and Switzerland

All times in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). London: UTC in winter, UTC+1 in summer. New York: UTC−5 in winter, UTC−4 in summer. Obscuration: share of the Sun's area at the maximum; magnitude: share of its diameter.

PlaceBeginsMaximumEndsObscurationSun altitude
Hamburg17:14 UTC18:08 UTCafter sunset85% (mag. 0.88)6°
Berlin17:15 UTC18:08 UTCafter sunset85% (mag. 0.87)4°
Cologne17:19 UTC18:13 UTCafter sunset88% (mag. 0.90)6°
Frankfurt17:20 UTC18:14 UTCafter sunset88% (mag. 0.90)5°
Munich17:23 UTC18:16 UTCafter sunset89% (mag. 0.90)2°
Vienna17:22 UTCafter sunsetafter sunset87% (mag. 0.89)below the horizon
Zurich17:24 UTC18:18 UTCafter sunset91% (mag. 0.92)3°

Where it is total

Places from our list that lie in the band. Times in UTC.

PlaceBeginsDurationSun altitude
Reykjavík17:48 UTC1 min 5 s25°
Ísafjörður17:44 UTC1 min 34 s25°
A Coruña18:28 UTC1 min 20 s12°
Oviedo18:27 UTC1 min 51 s10°
Bilbao18:27 UTC36 s8°
León18:28 UTC1 min 48 s10°
Burgos18:28 UTC1 min 46 s8°
Valladolid18:30 UTC1 min 32 s9°
Zaragoza18:29 UTC1 min 27 s6°
Valencia18:32 UTC1 min 6 s5°
Palma (Majorca)18:31 UTC1 min 39 s3°
Ibiza18:33 UTC1 min 10 s3°

How we calculate

UmbraLux calculates every date and time on this page itself, with the astronomy library astronomy-engine – the same calculation the UmbraLux app uses for its charts. As usual in astrology, positions are measured in the tropical zodiac: the signs start at the vernal equinox and span 30° each.

For each eclipse we calculate the moment of greatest eclipse (when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to the Earth's centre) and, for every place named, the beginning, maximum and end with the Sun's altitude above the horizon. The magnitude is the share of the Sun's diameter the Moon covers; the obscuration is the share of the Sun's area. Magnitude and lunar radius follow the conventions of NASA's catalogue.

An automated test compares every eclipse of 2026 and 2027 with NASA's Five Millennium Catalog (Espenak and Meeus): kind and magnitude agree, the moment of greatest eclipse lies within 10 seconds, the length of the total or annular phase within 10 seconds too. For future years every calculation estimates the Earth's rotation (ΔT); a few seconds depend on it.

Watching safely

Even when the Moon covers almost all of the Sun, looking at it can damage the retina. Look only through eclipse glasses that meet ISO 12312-2, or project the image, for example with a cardboard pinhole. Only in the brief time the Sun is fully covered (inside the band of totality) is it safe to look without a filter.

Questions about solar eclipses

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next solar eclipse is on Saturday, February 6, 2027 (in 116 days): an annular solar eclipse. It cannot be seen from Germany, Austria or Switzerland. The next one visible from Germany, Austria and Switzerland is the total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027: there the Moon covers up to 55% of the Sun.

When can the next solar eclipse be seen from Germany?

Until the end of 2027: on August 2, 2027 (total solar eclipse, partial there: the Moon covers up to 55% of the Sun).

When is the next total solar eclipse in Germany?

By our calculation on Wednesday, September 3, 2081. It is total in, among others, Bern (2 min 45 s), Basel (3 min 59 s), Freiburg (3 min 42 s), Zurich (3 min 59 s), Konstanz (3 min 56 s), Bregenz (4 min 1 s), Innsbruck (4 min 2 s) and Graz (2 min 44 s). Stuttgart, Ulm, Augsburg, Munich and Salzburg stay just outside the band; that far ahead the band may still shift a little, because the Earth's rotation cannot be predicted exactly. It stays partial in, for example, Cologne (93%), Frankfurt (95%), Hamburg (81%), Berlin (83%) and Vienna (97%).

How do I watch a solar eclipse safely?

Only with eclipse glasses that meet ISO 12312-2, or indirectly, for example with a pinhole projector. Sunglasses, smoked glass or film do not protect your eyes. Cameras, binoculars and telescopes need their own solar filter in front of the lens.

What does the magnitude of a solar eclipse mean?

The magnitude is the share of the Sun's diameter the Moon covers. From 1 the Sun is fully covered; in an annular eclipse it stays below 1 because the Moon appears too small. The obscuration gives the share of the Sun's area that is covered.

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