PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSEBrussels, BelgiumWednesday 12 August 2026 · times in CEST (UTC+2)
89.5%
OF THE SUN COVERED
A clear bite was taken out of the Sun. Daylight barely changed, so this was an eclipse you had to know about in advance to notice.
02 · TIMING
When did it happen?
The whole eclipse ran 1h 47m. All times are local, in CEST.
19:18 MAX 20:13 21:05
| Phase | LOCAL TIME | SUN |
|---|---|---|
| First contactthe Moon touches the Sun's edge | 19:18 | 16° W |
| Maximumthe deepest point | 20:13 | 7° WNW |
| Last contactthe Sun is whole again | 21:05 | 0° WNW |
03 · DIRECTION
Where was it in the sky?
At maximum the Sun was just 7° above the horizon to the west — low enough to need a clear, flat horizon, over water or from high ground.
The Sun's height and bearing at maximum, from Brussels. The horizon is at 0°.
THE EXPERIENCE
What it was actually like
A distinct bite was taken out of the Sun, reaching 89.5% at maximum. Daylight barely changed — the eye adapts far too well for that — so this was an eclipse you had to know about in advance to notice. Anyone watching needed a filter; the remaining Sun was as dangerous as an uneclipsed one.
04 · POSITION
Where was it seen?
The path passed 1,149 km to the south-west of Brussels and was 304 km wide. Only inside it was the Sun covered completely.
THE DAY
- SUNRISE
- 06:25
- SUNSET
- 21:09
- DAY LENGTH
- 14h 44m
- CIVIL DUSK
- 21:46
REFERENCE FIGURES
- OBSCURATION
- 89.5%
- COORDINATES
- 50.851° N, 4.352° E
- PATH WIDTH
- 304 km
- SHADOW SPEED
- 3,415 km/h
- SAROS
- 126 · no. 54
- MAGNITUDE
- 0.9103
- GAMMA
- 0.8977
Contact times are accurate to a couple of seconds at the coordinates above. Altitudes are geometric — unrefracted, on the WGS 84 ellipsoid.
NEXT FROM BRUSSELS
What else is coming here?
The rest of what the sky over Brussels has coming, soonest first.