The greatest differences concern the percentage of the solar disc obscured and how much time remains from maximum eclipse until sunset. In parts of Spain, obscuration will reach 100.00%, while in eastern Austria values will remain close to 80% in some places.
Times for specific cities vary even within a single country, so when planning observations, data for the nearest possible location should be used. The comparison includes the start of the eclipse, maximum, sunset, the end of the event, and the percentage of the photosphere's surface obscured by the Moon.
The percentage value describes the obscured area of the solar disc at maximum. It is not the same as eclipse magnitude, which specifies the ratio of the discs' diameters along the line passing through their centers.
Germany. The deepest phase in the southwest
Over Germany, first contact will occur between 19:11:53 in Flensburg and 19:23:39 in Freiburg. The maximum phase will occur from around 20:06 in the north to around 20:17 in the southwestern part of the country.
The difference in obscuration is clear. In Rostock, the maximum will reach 84.40%; in Berlin, 84.87%; in Hamburg, 85.43%; and in Freiburg, 90.34%. Stuttgart will be at 89.11%, Saarbrücken at 89.60%, and Munich at 88.83%.
For most of the locations analyzed, the Sun will set before the eclipse ends. In practice, the final phase will therefore be cut short by the horizon, and the best observing location should provide an unobstructed western view.
France. Obscuration rises rapidly toward the southwest
In France, the first phase will begin roughly between 19:19 and 19:33. The greatest obscuration will occur around 20:14–20:27, depending on the city's location.
Paris will reach its maximum at 20:17:21 with 92.13% obscuration. In Lyon, the value will rise to 93.87%, in Marseille to 96.38%, and in Bordeaux to 97.59%. An even deeper phase will occur in Pau, where the calculated obscuration is 99.07%.
Values will be lower in the east of the country. Strasbourg will reach 89.85%, Metz 90.06%, and Besançon 91.82%. Western France also has a later sunset, making it possible, among other places in Brest, Nantes, and Rennes, to observe a very long segment of the receding phase.
Spain. In some cities, the Sun's disc will be 100% obscured
The highest values in the entire European comparison occur in Spain. In Zaragoza, Palma, Valencia, Valladolid, Gijón, Santander, A Coruña, Burgos, Lleida, and Bilbao, the calculated obscuration at maximum is 100.00%.
Madrid will be very close to this value. Maximum will occur there at 20:32:23 with 99.98% obscuration. Barcelona will reach 99.86% at 20:29:18, Donostia/San Sebastián 99.77%, and Alicante 99.19%.
The situation changes in the south. In Seville, the forecast obscuration is 94.65%; in Málaga, 94.58%; in Almería, 95.93%; and in Melilla, 93.06%.
The Canary Islands should be considered separately, where the times in the table also differ markedly from those on the mainland. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will reach maximum at 19:53:43 with 69.76% obscuration, while in Arrecife, maximum at 19:52:06 will bring 73.20%.
United Kingdom. The entire eclipse before sunset
Across the United Kingdom, the event will begin between 18:03:47 on the Isle of Lewis and 18:18:53 in Plymouth. Maximum will occur from 19:01:51 in the northwest to 19:15:49 in the south.
Obscuration will exceed about 90% in the vast majority of the cities analyzed. London will reach 91.41% at 19:13:20, Manchester 91.39% at 19:10:11, Glasgow 91.40% at 19:06:05, and Cardiff 93.24% at 19:13:47. The highest value in the United Kingdom comparison is Plymouth's 94.66%.
An important difference compared with Central Europe is the time of sunset. In all the listed British locations, last contact will occur while the Sun is still above the horizon, so with good visibility it will be possible to follow the entire course of the partial phase.
Ireland. More than 93% obscuration across the country
Ireland will lie in an area of deeper eclipse than most of the United Kingdom. In the locations analyzed, obscuration ranges from 93.74% in Dundalk to 97.08% in Tralee.
In Dublin, first contact will occur at 18:12:59, and maximum at 19:10:44 with 94.01% obscuration. Cork will reach 96.47%, Galway 95.98%, Limerick 96.06%, and Ennis 96.21%.
The final phase will end around 20:03–20:08, while sunset will occur much later. As a result, the horizon will not interrupt observations before last contact.
Belgium. Small differences between regions
In Belgium, the geometry of the event changes relatively little across the country. The beginning will occur approximately between 19:18 and 19:21, and maximum between 20:12:41 and 20:15:25.
Brussels will reach 89.54% obscuration at 20:13:36. In Antwerp it will be 89.25%, in Ghent 89.71%, in Ostend 89.98%, while in Ypres the value will rise to 90.26%.
Whether the final contact can be seen will depend on the observer's location. In Ostend, Bruges, and Ghent, the eclipse will end before sunset, while in Liège, Namur, and Virton, the final phase will occur after the Sun has gone below the horizon.
Netherlands. Maximum shortly after 20:00
In the Netherlands, the first phase will begin around 19:15–19:19. Maximum for the cities included in the comparison will occur between 20:09:10 in Groningen and 20:13:17 in Maastricht.
Amsterdam will reach 88.25% obscuration, Rotterdam 88.74%, The Hague 88.72%, and Utrecht 88.33%. The highest value is in Middelburg, at 89.44%, while the lowest is in Groningen, at 86.99%.
In a large part of the country, last contact will occur before sunset. Exceptions include Maastricht and Venlo, where the solar disc will go below the horizon before the entire eclipse geometrically ends.
Luxembourg. Virtually identical course throughout the country
Luxembourg's small area means that time differences between individual locations are measured in seconds. Maximum will occur around 20:15, and obscuration will remain very close to 90%.
In Luxembourg City, the value will be 89.67%; in Esch-sur-Alzette, 89.84%; and in Dudelange, 89.80%. Kirchberg is calculated at 89.66%.
The Sun will set around 20:58, before last contact occurs. Observers will therefore see the maximum and the first part of the uncovering phase, but not the entire course of the event.
Austria. The west of the country with markedly greater obscuration
Austria shows one of the greatest regional contrasts in the comparison. In the east, the maximum will be shallower and occur very close to sunset, while in the west the Moon will cover around 90% of the disc.
In Vienna, maximum will occur at 20:10:17 with 84.94% obscuration, only a few minutes before sunset at 20:13:43. Graz will reach 84.31%, Wiener Neustadt 83.70%, and Eisenzicken 80.21%.
Significantly higher values apply to Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Innsbruck will reach 89.72%, Dornbirn 90.15%, and Feldkirch 90.38%. In Feldkirch, maximum will occur at 20:17:53, while sunset will not be until 20:38:18.
In none of the Austrian locations analyzed will it be possible to observe the eclipse until last contact. Particularly in the eastern part of the country, the Sun will be very low above the western horizon at maximum.
Switzerland. More than 90% obscuration in all cities analyzed
All of Switzerland included in the comparison exceeds the 90% obscuration threshold. Maximum will occur from around 20:17:30 to 20:20:36.
In Zurich, the Moon will cover 90.65% of the disc at 20:18:02. Bern will reach 91.50%, Lausanne 92.28%, Lugano 91.86%, and Geneva 92.81%. The lowest value in this group is in St. Gallen, at 90.28%.
In Switzerland as well, the Sun will set before the geometric end of the event. However, depending on the city, roughly several to around 30 minutes will remain from maximum until sunset, so the phase after greatest obscuration can be observed longer than in many places in eastern Austria.
The time of maximum does not tell the whole story
For this eclipse, the Sun's position relative to the horizon is just as important as the percentage of obscuration. Two locations with similar eclipse depth may offer different observing conditions if maximum occurs several dozen minutes before sunset in one of them, and only a few minutes beforehand in the other.
In the tables, “start” means first contact, the moment when the edge of the Moon begins to move onto the Sun's disc. “Maximum” indicates the greatest obscuration for a specific location, while “end” corresponds to last contact. If this column states that the Sun is below the horizon, observation will be interrupted earlier by sunset.
A value of 99% or even higher still means that an unobscured portion of the photosphere remains. Throughout all partial phases, the Sun must be observed only through a filter intended for direct solar observation. Ordinary sunglasses, darkened glass, and unsuitable photographic filters do not provide eye protection.