This Tuesday, a partial solar eclipse is expected over part of the Northern Hemisphere. It will last, in France, almost 2 hours, but will not darken the sky, as reported by Le Parisien.
The phenomenon will begin at 10:58 a.m. (French time) in Iceland. The eclipse will progress to India, where it will end at 3:02 p.m. In the meantime, it will pass through Europe, notably mainland France, North-East Africa and the Middle East.
This will be the 16th astrological phenomenon of this kind in the 21st century, and the second this year. During a solar eclipse, the Earth, Moon and Sun are aligned. Seen from the perspective of certain places on the Planet, the sun is then partially or totally obstructed.
Regarding today’s eclipse, it will be most marked in Kazakhstan, where the sun will be 82.2% obstructed. In mainland France, the percentage of obstruction will remain less than 20%. The perception will not be the same throughout France: in fact, the obstruction varies depending on the location from which the eclipse is observed.
Thus, the eclipse will be particularly visible, particularly in Strasbourg, where the obstruction rate will be 19.5% at 12:09 p.m. Conversely, it will be almost imperceptible in Bordeaux, where the obstruction peak at 12:01 p.m. will only reach 5.1%, according to actu.fr. To perceive a darkening of the sky in broad daylight, experts agree that the percentage of obstruction must reach at least 95%, according to Le Parisien.
The eclipse will be noticeable if the weather is good and you look directly at the sun. Observers will then be able to see a small piece of the sun missing from the upper left side of the solar disk. Attention ! You must wear suitable protective glasses, otherwise you will burn your eyes and risk blindness. Regular sunglasses will not be enough in any case, and if you observe the phenomenon through a telescope or binoculars, it is imperative that they are equipped with a UV light filter.
For those disappointed who expected a spectacular darkening of the sky, you will have to wait a little. The next total eclipse will take place on August 12, 2026, and the obstruction percentage will be 92% in Paris, and 96% in Marseille.