Eclipse on 12 August + Perseids: Brussels’ greatest celestial show in 27 years

There are evenings when an entire city looks up at the same time. Wednesday, 12 August 2026 will be one of them. And as if the sky wanted to put on a truly special performance, the following night marks the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, under a New Moon. An eclipse at sunset, shooting stars until dawn: it’s been 27 years since we’ve had a show like this.

Here’s everything you need to know — and most importantly, how to watch it without damaging your eyes.

⏱️ Exact times in Brussels

Data from the Royal Observatory of Belgium:

Moment	Time (Brussels)	Sun’s Altitude
First contact — the Moon touches the Sun	19:18	16° above the horizon
Maximum — the crescent	20:13	Only 7 to 8°
Theoretical end	around 21:05	Sun already set in Brussels

In Brussels, the Moon will cover approximately 89% of the Sun’s surface, or 91% of its diameter. This is not a total eclipse here: the path of totality will pass over Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and Portugal.

⚠️ **The scheduling snag**: in almost the entire country, the Sun will set before the eclipse ends. Only nine locations in the north and west (Furnes, Ostend, Bruges, Poperinge, Kortrijk, Ghent, Oudenaarde, Tournai, Essen) will see the event to its conclusion. From Brussels, we will see the best part — the maximum — but not the end.

👁️ Eye Safety: The chapter you must NOT skip

A Sun that is 89% obscured is still more than powerful enough to burn your retina. The danger is insidious: the retina has no pain receptors. You won’t feel a thing at the time. The damage — solar retinopathy, a permanent spot or loss of vision in the centre of your visual field — appears in the hours or days that follow. And it can be irreversible.

✅ The only valid protection

Eclipse glasses bearing **both** of the following marks: - The **CE mark** (as they are personal protective equipment), - The **EN ISO 12312-2:2015** standard.

The FPS Economy specifies that you should also check the back for: the **manufacturer’s contact details**, the **manufacturing date and batch number**, **instructions for use in French**, and an **explicit statement** that the product is intended for direct observation of the Sun or an eclipse.

🧪 The 5-second test

Put them on **indoors**, in a lit room. You should see **almost nothing** — just blackness. If you can still make out your living room, they are not eclipse glasses. Full stop.

❌ What does NOT protect your eyes (non-negotiable list)

• **Sunglasses**, even very dark ones, even polarised, even with a “CE” mark
• **3D cinema glasses**
• **Smoked glass**, or glass blackened with a candle
• **Photo filters**, a smartphone screen, a camera without a solar filter
• **Old X-ray films**
• **Commercial welding masks**
• Your **“collector’s edition” glasses from 1999**: the filter degrades over time; an invisible micro-crack is all it takes. The Professional Association of Opticians and Optometrists of Belgium (APOOB) advises its members not to sell off old stock.

👶 With children

A child might playfully take their glasses off, put them back on, or shift them. Check the frame beforehand, hold it in place, and set a simple rule: **only look with the glasses on, and only take them off when looking down**. The safest method for young children remains **indirect projection**: poke a small hole in a piece of cardboard, turn your back to the Sun, and watch the image of the crescent projected onto a white sheet of paper. Zero risk, guaranteed effect.

🛒 Where to buy real eclipse glasses in Brussels

• **At your optician** — this is the most reliable source. Expect to pay **€1 to €5** a pair.
• **In pharmacies**, more rarely, and in supermarkets.
• **At public observatories**, which sell certified models (the Royal Observatory offers them for **€2.50** on its Humain site).
• **Online**: possible, but with **no guarantee of quality**. The FPS Economy warns against low-priced products sold through unreliable channels — and, if in doubt, **do not use them**.

⏳ **Hurry**: according to the Belgian opticians' association, the main supplier had already sold 130,000 pairs by early August, with only 50,000 remaining. The MIRA observatory in Grimbergen went from 13,000 to 5,000 pairs in a few days. The shortage is real.

🚨 **Scam alert**: The Société Astronomique de France has reported a special-edition magazine sold at newsagents that includes glasses advertised as compliant with ISO 12312-2:2015 **but lacking the mandatory information**. No details on the back means no trust.

📍 Where to watch the eclipse in Brussels: The 7-degree constraint

This is THE key to this eclipse. At its maximum at 20:13, the Sun will only be 7-8° above the horizon — roughly the width of your fist held at arm’s length. You will therefore need a perfectly clear west-north-west horizon. A building, a row of trees, a hill, and it’s over.

🥇 Mont des Arts

The best compromise in the city centre: a **raised esplanade**, a **wide open view to the north-west** over the gardens and the lower town, space for a crowd, and just 3 minutes from Brussels-Central station. Arrive **early** (from 18:30) — the spot will be popular, and places with a clear view of the horizon are limited to the balustrade.

Other good spots in Brussels

• **The esplanade of the Palais de Justice** (Place Poelaert) — the best westward view in Brussels, directly overlooking the Marolles and the lower town.
• **The panorama from the Basilica of Koekelberg** — maximum height, clear horizon (check access times for the dome).
• **The Heysel plateau / the Atomium** — open and elevated, in the north-west of the city.
• **Parc Élisabeth** — a lawn sloping east of the basilica, offering a wide view.
• **The heights of Laeken Park** and **Scheutbos Park** (Molenbeek), for a quieter experience.

🏆 And if you want the full show

The **Belgian coast** offers the best conditions in the country: a perfect sea horizon and a view of the eclipse until its conclusion. **Ostend** and **Bruges** are less than an hour and 15 minutes by train from Brussels-Midi. A late afternoon departure and a late return make a day trip feasible.

📻 **Of note**: The Royal Observatory of Belgium is exceptionally opening its **Humain radio astronomy station** (in Marche-en-Famenne) from 17:00 — but **registrations are now closed**.

🌠 The night of 12-13 August: The Perseids and a rare opportunity

That same evening, once the Sun has set, simply turn your gaze. The Perseids — dust left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which Earth passes through every summer — will reach their peak on the night of 12-13 August, according to the International Meteor Organization. The shower runs from 17 July to 24 August, but intensifies significantly from **10 to 14 August**.

And here’s the bonus: a solar eclipse, by definition, means a **New Moon**. So on that night, the Moon will be absent from the sky. No lunar light pollution means near-ideal viewing conditions — for the Perseids, but also the Milky Way, star clusters, and nebulae.

How to watch them (it’s free and requires no equipment)

• **Look after midnight**, especially in the **second half of the night**: this is when the constellation Perseus is highest in the sky.
• **No telescope, no binoculars.** Use the naked eye, lie back, and scan a wide area. An instrument will only narrow your field of view and make you miss everything.
• **Allow 20 to 30 minutes** for your eyes to adapt to the dark, without looking at your phone. If you need light, use a red light mode.
• **Escape light pollution.** Within inner Brussels, you will only see the brightest meteors. In a clear, dark sky, you can see up to **80 meteors per hour** under the best conditions.
• **The least bad spots in the Region**: **Rouge-Cloître** and the **Sonian Forest** (Auderghem/Watermael-Boitsfort), **Scheutbos**, and **Woluwe Park**. Even better: take a 20-minute train ride into Brabant.

No special glasses are needed for shooting stars. Just a blanket, some patience, and nobody shining a torch in your eyes.

📅 The last time, and the next time

It’s the question on everyone’s mind. Here are the real dates.

	Date	What we saw / will see
The last total eclipse in Belgium	11 August 1999	Totality observed from the south of the country, between clouds
Today	12 August 2026	89% of the Sun obscured in Brussels — the most significant since 1999
The next total eclipse in Belgium	25 May 2142	In 116 years

In other words: no one alive today will see the next total eclipse from Belgium. **Partial** eclipses will return in **2027, 2028, and 2030** — but nothing comparable to this Wednesday’s event.

That’s exactly why it’s worth clearing your evening schedule. A two-euro pair of glasses, a clear horizon, and a solar crescent above the spire of the Town Hall. Then, a few hours later, shooting stars.

Brussels won’t get a double bill like this again.

🔗 Sources & Verifiable Links

• Royal Observatory of Belgium — The Perseids: https://www.astro.oma.be/fr/les-perseides-observons-et-ecoutons-les-etoiles-filantes/
• Royal Observatory of Belgium — Eclipse observation at Humain (official times, 19:19–20:14): https://200year.observatory.be/index.php/fr/eclipse
• Royal Observatory of Belgium: https://www.astro.oma.be/fr/
• FPS Economy — vigilance on eclipse glasses (via BX1): https://bx1.be/categories/news/eclipse-solaire-du-12-aout-comment-reconnaitre-de-vraies-lunettes-de-protection/
• RTBF — Which glasses to choose to avoid burning your eyes: https://www.rtbf.be/article/eclipse-du-12-aout-quelles-lunettes-choisir-pour-ne-pas-se-bruler-les-yeux-11765610
• RTBF — Eclipse glasses: what to look out for: https://www.rtbf.be/article/lunettes-a-eclipse-a-quoi-faire-attention-pour-se-proteger-les-yeux-11746225
• La Libre — Everything you need to know about the solar eclipse of 12 August: https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/2026/08/05/risques-postes-dobservation-lunettes-speciales-tout-savoir-sur-leclipse-solaire-du-12-aout-prochain-QBWLJAPLMZGHTPNN6YUFMQ7UDY/
• RTL Info — Limited stocks of glasses: https://www.rtl.be/actu/magazine/sante/depechez-vous-le-stock-de-lunettes-speciales-pour-voir-leclipse-fond-comme-neige/2026-08-05/article/796492
• City of Brussels: https://www.bruxelles.be