Viewing events planned across Netherlands for rare near-total solar eclipse on August 12

The Netherlands will see a near-total solar eclipse on August 12. The rare event has prompted observatories and universities all over the country to organize public viewing events. The next opportunities to see the near-total eclipse will come in 2081 and 2090.

The eclipse will begin at about 7:15 p.m. and continue until shortly after 9 p.m., around sunset. The sun will be low on the northwestern horizon. The eclipse will reach its peak at about 8:11 p.m., when the moon will cover nearly 90 percent of the sun's disk.

The sky will become "noticeably darker," according to the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy. The last time such a large portion of the sun disappeared behind the moon as seen from the Netherlands was in 1999.

The University of Groningen will set up observation sites on August 12 on the islands of Vlieland, Terschelling, and Ameland. The university will also host viewing locations on the roof of the Forum building in central Groningen, as well as in Eemshaven, Lauwersoog, and Noordpolderzijl.

Copernicus Observatory in Haarlem will take its telescopes to the boulevard in Bloemendaal, where visitors can safely observe the rare event. The observatory will also provide eclipse glasses to protect viewers' eyes.

Cosmos Observatory in Twente will organize specialized solar telescopes at a farm in Lattrop to give visitors a clear view of the eclipse. Saturnus Observatory in Heerhugowaard will set up at the dunes near Petten.

Mercurius Observatory in Dordrecht, Halley Observatory in Vinkel, Phoenix Observatory in Lochem, Midden-Nederland Observatory in Nijkerk, and Vesta Observatory in Oostzaan will also hold public viewing evenings.

A total solar eclipse will be visible in other parts of Europe, including Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain.