Riga residents gather to watch partial solar eclipse
On August 12, many Riga residents, including crowds near the Stone Bridge, gathered to watch a partial solar eclipse that coincided with sunset. At its peak, 84 percent of the Sun's diameter was covered.
On the evening of August 12, residents gathered at several spots around Riga, including near the Stone Bridge, to observe a partial solar eclipse.
How the eclipse unfolded
The eclipse began in Riga at 20:06. Its maximum phase, when the Moon covered 84 percent of the Sun's diameter, occurred at 20:57. By 21:11, the partially obscured Sun had already set.
Because sunset times vary across different parts of Latvia, the Sun's position in the sky at the moment of maximum eclipse also differed by location. In eastern Latvia, the maximum phase coincided almost exactly with sunset, while in the western part of the country the two events were separated by around 20 minutes.
How solar eclipses occur
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun's disk. A total eclipse briefly plunges an area into darkness, while a partial eclipse makes the Sun appear as a circle with a notch taken out of it. This time, observers saw the setting Sun take the shape of a narrow crescent with its points curving downward.
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