On Saturday, certain regions including eastern North America, Greenland, parts of Europe, northern Russia, and northwestern Africa were able to witness a partial solar eclipse. Up to 20% of the sun’s light was obscured by the moon, and the peak of the eclipse occurred around 12:15 CET (1115 UTC/GMT), persisting for an additional 50 minutes.

The German Weather Service had previously expressed uncertainty about the sky remaining cloudless, which would have provided optimal viewing conditions for the celestial event.

Local authorities cautioned the public against looking directly at the sun, particularly without proper protection or when using optical devices such as binoculars or telescopes.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon positions itself between the Earth and the sun. Such an alignment does not happen every month due to the moon’s slightly inclined orbit.

The next time a partial solar eclipse will be visible over Germany is on August 12, 2026, during which over 80% of the sun is expected to be covered.

Sean Sinico, Editor