PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE · SUN SETS DURINGCologne, GermanyWednesday 12 August 2026 · times in CEST (UTC+2)
88.2%
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.
THE SUN SETS PART-WAY THROUGH
Sunset was at 20:58, with the Sun still 88.2% covered. Everything after that happened below the horizon.02 · TIMING
When did it happen?
The whole eclipse ran 1h 46m. All times are local, in CEST.
19:18 MAX 20:12 21:04
| Phase | LOCAL TIME | SUN |
|---|---|---|
| First contactthe Moon touches the Sun's edge | 19:18 | 14° W |
| Maximumthe deepest point | 20:12 | 6° WNW |
| SUNSET 20:58 NOTHING BELOW THIS LINE IS VISIBLE | ||
| Last contacthappens after the Sun has set | 21:04 | BELOW HORIZON2° under |
Times for the hidden phases are given because they are real — they are simply not observable from here.
03 · DIRECTION
Where was it in the sky?
At maximum the Sun was just 6° 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 Cologne. The horizon is at 0°.
THE EXPERIENCE
What it was actually like
A distinct bite was taken out of the Sun, reaching 88.2% 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 1,276 km to the south-west of Cologne and was 292 km wide. Only inside it was the Sun covered completely.
THE DAY
- SUNRISE
- 06:14
- SUNSET
- 20:58
- DAY LENGTH
- 14h 44m
- CIVIL DUSK
- 21:36
REFERENCE FIGURES
- OBSCURATION
- 88.2%
- COORDINATES
- 50.938° N, 6.96° E
- PATH WIDTH
- 292 km
- SHADOW SPEED
- 3,415 km/h
- SAROS
- 126 · no. 54
- MAGNITUDE
- 0.9006
- 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 COLOGNE
What else is coming here?
The rest of what the sky over Cologne has coming, soonest first.