Nearly total solar eclipse to grace Dutch skies Wednesday evening

The Netherlands is set to witness a rare astronomical event on Wednesday evening, August 12: a nearly total solar eclipse, the first of its kind in over a quarter-century.

The celestial spectacle begins around 7:16 PM, with the moon gradually moving across the sun. The peak of the eclipse, when about 90% of the sun will be obscured, is expected at 8:11 PM. This phenomenon will create a brief period of twilight before the eclipse concludes just before sunset at approximately 9:03 PM. While the times are based on Utrecht, slight variations will occur across the country.

The path of totality for this eclipse stretches from northern Siberia, across Greenland, Iceland, and into northern Spain. In the Netherlands, observers should seek locations with an unobstructed view of the western horizon, as the eclipse occurs in the hour leading up to sunset. Coastal areas or elevated viewpoints are recommended, provided there is no cloud cover.

Crucially, viewers must use certified eclipse glasses that meet the ISO-12312-2 standard. Regular sunglasses are insufficient and can cause serious eye damage, including solar retinopathy, which affects the retina's most sensitive part. The glasses block 99.999% of sunlight across visible, UV, and infrared spectrums. Any scratches or damage to the glasses render them unsafe. Improvised viewing methods like using CDs or smoked glass are strongly discouraged.