Belgium’s public observatories have said the Moon will cover around 90 per cent of the Sun over Brussels on the evening of August 12, in the deepest solar eclipse visible from the country in more than a quarter of a century.
The partial solar eclipse will begin at 7.18pm, reach its maximum at 8.13pm and end at about 9.05pm, minutes before the Sun sets over the capital. At maximum the solar disc will sit barely 8 degrees above the horizon, according to the Flemish public observatories.
Because the eclipse will take place low on the western horizon, astronomers recommend choosing an observation point with a clear view towards the west, away from tall buildings or trees. The Sun will stand in the west-northwest throughout.
Popular spots such as the Mont des Arts, the Atomium esplanade and other elevated viewpoints across the capital are expected to attract skywatchers hoping to witness the event.
Weather permitting, it will be the deepest eclipse visible from Belgium since 1999, with a similar spectacle not expected again until 2081. The last total eclipse seen from Belgian soil was on August 11, 1999, when the band of totality crossed Virton, in the southern province of Luxembourg.
By comparison, the partial eclipse of March 29, 2025 covered just 35 per cent of the solar disc at its peak over Belgium.
Belgium falls outside the path of totality, which on August 12 will sweep across Greenland and Iceland before crossing northern Spain from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean, taking in A Coruña, Zaragoza and Valencia as well as the Balearic Islands.
The Royal Observatory of Belgium has confirmed that the totality zone does not pass over Belgian territory.
Urania director Marc Van den Broeck said 80,000 people have already bought certified eclipse glasses, a figure carried by the news agency Belga.
Experts stress that the phenomenon must never be observed with the naked eye. Ordinary sunglasses, smoked glass, CDs or DVDs do not offer sufficient protection against harmful solar radiation and can cause permanent eye damage.
Certified viewers must carry the ISO 12312-2 marking. Welding glass of a sufficiently high grade is also suitable, though no moment of the Brussels eclipse will be safe to watch unaided because a crescent of the solar disc remains uncovered throughout.
Anyone planning to photograph the eclipse should also use a certified solar filter over their camera or smartphone lens to protect both their eyesight and their equipment.
Astronomy clubs and observatories across Belgium are organising public viewing sessions, giving residents a safe way to experience the celestial display.
