The greatest differences concern the percentage of the solar disc obscured and the amount of time remaining between maximum eclipse and sunset. In parts of Spain, obscuration will reach 100.00%, while in eastern Austria values will in some places remain close to 80%.
Times for individual cities vary even within a single country, so observations should be planned using data for the nearest possible location. The overview includes the start of the eclipse, maximum eclipse, sunset, the end of the event, and the percentage of the photosphere obscured by the Moon.
The percentage value describes the area of the solar disc obscured at maximum. It is not the same as eclipse magnitude, which defines the ratio of the discs' diameters along the line passing through their centres.
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. At maximum, it will reach 84.40% in Rostock, 84.87% in Berlin, 85.43% in Hamburg, and 90.34% in Freiburg. Stuttgart will be at 89.11%, Saarbrücken at 89.60%, and Munich at 88.83%.
For most of the locations analysed, 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 site should offer an unobstructed western view.
France. Obscuration rises rapidly towards the southwest
In France, the first phase will begin roughly between 19:19 and 19:33. Maximum obscuration will occur around 20:14–20:27, depending on the city's location.
Paris will reach maximum at 20:17:21 with 92.13% obscuration. The figure will rise to 93.87% in Lyon, 96.38% in Marseille, and 97.59% in Bordeaux. An even deeper phase will occur in Pau, where 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 will also have a later sunset, making it possible to observe a very long stretch of the receding phase in Brest, Nantes and Rennes, among other places.
Spain. In some cities, the solar disc will be obscured by 100%
The highest values in the entire European overview are found in Spain. In Zaragoza, Palma, Valencia, Valladolid, Gijón, Santander, A Coruña, Burgos, Lleida and Bilbao, 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. Forecast obscuration is 94.65% in Seville, 94.58% in Málaga, 95.93% in Almería, and 93.06% in Melilla.
The Canary Islands should be considered separately, as 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 around 90% in the vast majority of the cities analysed. 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 UK overview is Plymouth's 94.66%.
A key difference compared with Central Europe is the time of sunset. In all the British locations listed, last contact will occur while the Sun is still above the horizon, so with good visibility it will be possible to follow the full 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 analysed, 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 observation before last contact.
Belgium. Small differences between regions
In Belgium, the geometry of the event changes relatively little across the country. The start will fall 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. It will be 89.25% in Antwerp, 89.71% in Ghent, 89.98% in Ostend, while in Ypres the figure 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, whereas 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 overview 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%. Middelburg has the highest value at 89.44%, while Groningen has the lowest 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 ends geometrically.
Luxembourg. Virtually identical course across the country
Luxembourg's small size means that time differences between individual locations are measured in seconds. Maximum will occur at 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%. The calculated value for Kirchberg is 89.66%.
The Sun will set at around 20:58, before last contact occurs. Observers will therefore see the maximum and the first part of the uncovering phase, but not the event's entire course.
Austria. The west of the country with markedly greater obscuration
Austria shows one of the greatest regional contrasts in the overview. In the east, maximum will be shallower and occur very close to sunset, whereas in the west the Moon will obscure around 90% of the disc.
In Vienna, maximum will occur at 20:10:17 with 84.94% obscuration, just a few minutes before sunset at 20:13:43. Graz will reach 84.31%, Wiener Neustadt 83.70%, and Eisenzicken 80.21%.
Much 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, with sunset not until 20:38:18.
In none of the Austrian locations analysed will it be possible to observe the eclipse until last contact. Especially 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 analysed
All Swiss locations included in the overview exceed the 90% obscuration threshold. Maximum will occur from around 20:17:30 to 20:20:36.
In Zurich, the Moon will obscure 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 too, the Sun will set before the geometrical end of the event. Depending on the city, however, roughly a dozen to around 30 minutes will remain between maximum and sunset, so the phase after greatest obscuration can be observed for 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 depths may offer different observing conditions if maximum occurs several dozen minutes before sunset in one, but 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 solar disc. “Maximum” marks the greatest obscuration for a given location, while “end” corresponds to last contact. If this column indicates that the Sun is below the horizon, observation will be interrupted by sunset beforehand.
A value of 99% or even higher still means that an unobscured part 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, or unsuitable photographic filters do not provide eye protection.