A partial solar eclipse will be visible from Florence and across Tuscany on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, with the Moon covering most of the Sun as it approaches the western horizon.
The eclipse is due to begin at around 7.30 p.m. in Tuscany. The National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) indicates an intermediate phase at about 7.50 p.m., with the eclipse reaching its peak at around 8.20 p.m.
In Florence, calculations put the beginning at approximately 7.30 p.m. and the maximum at 8.20 p.m., with an eclipse magnitude of about 0.93. The precise view, however, will depend heavily on the local horizon because the Sun will be extremely low by then.
Tuscany among the best regions in Italy
The August 12 event is a total solar eclipse globally, but totality will not be visible from Italy. Its path will cross parts of the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and Spain. It will be the first total solar eclipse to cross continental Europe since 1999.
From Italy, the eclipse will only be partial. Tuscany is nevertheless among the regions with the greatest coverage, together with Piedmont, Valle d’Aosta, Liguria, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Sardinia. In these areas, 90% or more of the solar disc may be obscured.
Unlike during a total eclipse, the Sun will never disappear completely from view in Tuscany and the solar corona will not become visible. Instead, the Sun will progressively be reduced to a thin crescent as it approaches sunset.
Where to watch the eclipse in Tuscany
Finding a suitable observation point will be unusually important because of the timing of the eclipse.
INAF says observers will need a very low and unobstructed horizon towards the west or west-northwest. Hills and mountains in that direction could hide the Sun before the eclipse reaches its most interesting phase, even if astronomical calculations indicate that it should technically still be above the horizon.
The northern Tuscan coast is therefore particularly well positioned. Coastal locations around Pisa, including Marina di Pisa, Bocca d’Arno, Tirrenia and Calambrone, offer the kind of open western horizon that improves the chances of seeing the eclipse as the Sun sets.
Some elevated locations may also provide good views, but height alone is not enough: what matters is whether mountains, hills, buildings or vegetation block the horizon in the direction of sunset.
INAF has published detailed visibility maps for Italy that take the terrain into account. The maps show whether the eclipsed Sun should be visible at 7.30 p.m., 7.50 p.m. and 8.20 p.m., as well as at the locally calculated beginning and peak of the eclipse.
How to watch safely
Observers should never look directly at the Sun without suitable eye protection, even when it is close to sunset or largely covered by the Moon.
INAF recommends eclipse glasses or viewers meeting the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Ordinary sunglasses do not provide adequate protection. The same precautions remain necessary throughout a partial eclipse because some of the Sun’s surface remains visible.
People using telescopes, binoculars or cameras also need filters specifically designed for solar observation; eclipse glasses alone are not sufficient protection when looking through optical equipment.
Eclipse to be streamed online
The broadcast will include telescope images of the partial eclipse from Italy and views of totality from Spain and Iceland. It will be available through EduINAF’s YouTube channel and the social media channels of the participating organisations.
The eclipse will also coincide with one of the most familiar astronomical events of the summer: the Perseid meteor shower, which reaches its annual peak around August 12 and 13.
For people planning to watch the eclipse in Tuscany, however, the first consideration should be finding an open western horizon — and bringing certified solar-viewing glasses.
(Cover photo Image by AstroGraphix_Visuals from Pixabay)
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