Total solar eclipse on 12 August: What to expect in Europe and Latvia
On Wednesday, August 12, a total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Europe; in Latvia the Moon will cover about 80 percent of the Sun's disk.
On Wednesday, 12 August, a rare celestial event will be visible from parts of Europe: a total solar eclipse. The Moon's shadow will first touch the Earth in the eastern Taimyr Peninsula in Russia, then cross the Arctic Ocean toward Greenland and move south. The maximum duration of totality will be 2 minutes 18 seconds. A much longer eclipse is due on 2 August 2027, when totality will last up to 6 minutes 30 seconds across southern Spain, North Africa and the western Arabian Peninsula.
Over about an hour and a half, the full shadow will travel roughly 8,260 kilometres, mostly over the Atlantic. The longest totality will be seen in western Iceland, while in northwestern Portugal and northern Spain — where large crowds are expected — totality will be only about one minute. The eclipse will end over the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean.
A partial eclipse will cover a much wider area. Among major cities where the Moon will cover nearly the entire solar disk are Madrid with 99.98 percent, Barcelona with 99 percent, as well as Monaco, Lisbon, Paris, London and others. A crescent Sun will also be visible in northern Europe.
In Latvia, the eclipse will be partial. In Riga, it begins at 20:06 and lasts until sunset at 21:11, with maximum at 20:58. Observers at the seaside will be able to see a setting crescent Sun. The phenomenon will fully end at 21:49. The Moon will cover about 80 percent of the Sun's disk.
Safety rules are strict: without special protection, one must not look at the Sun with the naked eye or through a camera, binoculars or telescope, as this can instantly cause severe eye injuries. The only exception is the maximum of the total phase, when the Sun's disk is completely hidden. As soon as even a thin crescent appears, special eclipse glasses marked ISO 12312-2 should be used. They are thousands of times darker than ordinary sunglasses.
Expert instructions and an instructional video are available, and the safety measures they mention have not changed.
