HAPPENING 12 AUG '26 | Rotterdam will experience its deepest partial solar eclipse since 1999 on Wednesday 12 August. At the peak around 20:11, the Moon will cover almost 89% of the Sun’s visible surface, leaving a narrow crescent above the city’s west-northwestern horizon.
The eclipse will not turn Rotterdam completely dark because the city lies outside the path of totality. It should nevertheless produce noticeably dimmer daylight, an unusual late-evening atmosphere and a dramatically reshaped Sun, provided the clouds cooperate.
Eclipse times in Rotterdam
The Moon first begins moving across the Sun at approximately 19:16. The eclipse gradually deepens during the following hour, reaching its maximum at 20:11 before ending at around 21:03. The complete event lasts approximately one hour and 47 minutes.
At maximum eclipse, the Sun will be only about eight degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. The local eclipse magnitude is 0.904, meaning that the Moon covers just over 90% of the Sun’s diameter. Measured by surface area, approximately 89% of the solar disc will be hidden.
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What the eclipse will look like
The Moon will appear to take an increasingly large bite from the right-hand side of the Sun before leaving only a thin, curved strip of sunlight visible at the maximum. Daylight should become noticeably flatter and dimmer, although it will not resemble night as it would inside the path of totality.
A total eclipse will be visible along a narrow route crossing Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain. From Rotterdam, the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, will not become visible, and there will be no moment when it is safe to remove your eclipse glasses.
Best places to watch
The low position of the Sun makes the viewing location particularly important. Hoek van Holland beach offers the clearest western horizon within the municipality of Rotterdam and is likely to provide the strongest local view. In the city, possibilities include the eastern side of the Kralingse Plas, elevated sections of Dakpark and open waterfront locations where towers, trees and cranes do not block the west-northwestern sky.
Arrive well before 19:16 and avoid choosing a place based only on its general view. The maximum occurs close to the horizon, so even a relatively small building can hide the Sun. A useful test is to visit your chosen spot at around 20:10 on the previous evening. If the Sun remains clearly visible, the same location should offer a suitable view during the eclipse.
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Watch the Sun safely
Never look directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection. Use eclipse glasses marked with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard and inspect them before use. Creased, scratched or damaged filters should be discarded, while ordinary sunglasses offer nowhere near enough protection.
Eclipse glasses must not be combined with binoculars, telescopes or camera lenses. Optical equipment concentrates sunlight and requires a specialist solar filter fitted securely over the front of the instrument. A simple alternative is a pinhole projector, while a colander or the gaps between tree leaves can project dozens of small crescent Suns onto the ground.
Where to find eclipse glasses
Rotterdam residents looking for eclipse glasses can check specialist photography and optical shops before ordering online. Kamera Express at Karel Doormanstraat 263 sells ISO-certified Bresser eclipse glasses and offers same-day collection when the product is available at its Rotterdam branch. Check the branch stock online or call the shop before travelling.
Eclipse glasses are also available through specialist Dutch retailers including Bresser Benelux and Eclipsbrillen.nl. Order well before 12 August and look specifically for the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Ordinary sunglasses, CDs, photographic film and improvised filters do not provide safe protection.
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Rotterdam’s biggest eclipse in decades
The 12 August eclipse will be the largest partial solar eclipse visible from the Netherlands since 11 August 1999. Smaller eclipses have occurred in the intervening years, including the partial eclipse of March 2025, but none covered such a large part of the Sun. A similarly deep eclipse will not be visible from the Netherlands again until 2081.
The timing makes 12 August an unusually good day to keep looking upwards. After the eclipsed Sun sets, the Perseid meteor shower approaches its annual peak under an almost perfectly dark new Moon. Anyone moving from the city to a darker location later that night could therefore follow a crescent Sun with an evening of shooting stars.
Read our complete Perseid viewing guide.
Solar eclipse timetable
- Date: Wednesday 12 August 2026
- Eclipse begins: approximately 19:16
- Maximum eclipse: approximately 20:11
- Maximum coverage: almost 89% of the solar surface
- Eclipse ends: approximately 21:03
- Viewing direction: west-northwest
- Sun’s height at maximum: approximately eight degrees
- Eye protection: ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses
All times are local Rotterdam time. Visibility depends entirely on cloud cover, so check the latest forecast shortly before travelling.
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