Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
Get ready for a rare spectacle in the midday sky! For around two hours in the afternoon on Tuesday, October 25, people in Germany and across the northern hemisphere will be treated to the sight of a partial solar eclipse. Here’s what you need to know.
Although not quite as spectacular or rare as a full solar eclipse, a partial solar eclipse is still a sight to behold! As the Association of Star Friends (VdS) from Heppenheim in Germany explains, a solar eclipse occurs at the new moon when the moon comes between the sun and the earth. The last solar eclipse was visible in Central Europe in June 2021, and the next one will not be visible until March 2025 - so catch this one while you can!
Depending on your location, the moon will cover between 20 and 30 percent of the sun, starting from around 11am for those in the north of the country (in Berlin and Cologne it will begin to be visible from around 11.10am, according to Focus Online, and in Munich from 11.14am).
Maximum coverage will be reached around an hour later, between 12 and 12.30pm, and will appear greater to those in the north than in the south - although of course, the weather has to play along to make sure it’s visible.
Since we’re talking about the midday sun, the Federal Office for Radiation Protection has warned people against looking directly at the eclipse or using binoculars, cameras or telescopes, without protecting their eyes in some way. You can use so-called solar eclipse glasses to protect your eyes, or use something called a camera obscura.
Several organisations in Germany and across the world will also be holding live streams on the day, to allow you to catch the action without risking any harm to your eyes, including the Royal Observatory in London, NASA and the Hamburg Planetarium.