PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE · SUN SETS DURINGZurich, SwitzerlandWednesday 12 August 2026 · times in CEST (UTC+2)
90.6%
OF THE SUN COVERED
Almost all of the Sun went. The light weakened and cooled noticeably, shadows sharpened, and the temperature dropped — but it did not get dark, and the remaining sliver was still blinding.
THE SUN SETS PART-WAY THROUGH
Sunset was at 20:42, with the Sun still 90.6% covered. Everything after that happened below the horizon.02 · TIMING
When did it happen?
The whole eclipse ran 1h 44m. All times are local, in CEST.
19:24 MAX 20:18 21:08
| Phase | LOCAL TIME | SUN |
|---|---|---|
| First contactthe Moon touches the Sun's edge | 19:24 | 12° W |
| Maximumthe deepest point | 20:18 | 3° WNW |
| SUNSET 20:42 NOTHING BELOW THIS LINE IS VISIBLE | ||
| Last contacthappens after the Sun has set | 21:08 | BELOW HORIZON5° 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 3° 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 Zurich. The horizon is at 0°.
THE EXPERIENCE
What it was actually like
With 90.6% of the Sun covered the light noticeably weakened and cooled, shadows grew sharp-edged, and the temperature dropped. Gaps between leaves projected rows of crescents onto the ground. The Sun stayed dangerous to look at throughout.
04 · POSITION
Where was it seen?
The path passed 999 km to the south-west of Zurich and was 275 km wide. Only inside it was the Sun covered completely.
THE DAY
- SUNRISE
- 06:18
- SUNSET
- 20:42
- DAY LENGTH
- 14h 25m
- CIVIL DUSK
- 21:16
REFERENCE FIGURES
- OBSCURATION
- 90.6%
- COORDINATES
- 47.377° N, 8.542° E
- PATH WIDTH
- 275 km
- SHADOW SPEED
- 3,415 km/h
- SAROS
- 126 · no. 54
- MAGNITUDE
- 0.9191
- 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 ZURICH
What else is coming here?
The rest of what the sky over Zurich has coming, soonest first.