The STCE will gather at its radio astronomy station in Humain on August 12, 2026, to observe the solar eclipse.
What and when?
On Wednesday, August 12, a partial solar eclipse will be visible from Belgium. The Moon will cover nearly 90% of the Sun. While this is not a total solar eclipse, it will still be very impressive —especially when observed from an operational scientific research station.
In Humain, the eclipse begins at 7:19 p.m. and reaches its peak at 8:14 p.m. At that moment, the sun will be low above the horizon. Because the eclipse occurs at sunset, it’s a challenge to find an observation site with an unobstructed view of the western horizon. In urban and rural areas, buildings and trees often block the view. The site in Humain was specifically chosen in the 1950s to allow radio telescopes to track the Sun from sunrise to sunset. This makes it the perfect location to observe this solar eclipse.
Around 250 enthusiasts will gather at the site in Humain starting at 5 p.m. Scientists will explain this solar eclipse and solar eclipses in general, as well as how they observe them using various satellites. Visitors will also get a unique glimpse into how the radio telescopes and the control center operate. This is only the second time this facility has been opened to the public.
The highlight, of course, is the near-total solar eclipse, which the audience will observe through telescopes set up on site. Until 10:30 p.m., there will be time to enjoy the night sky above the darkened site. With a little luck, we may catch a glimpse of Venus or a shooting star (Perseids).
Why is a solar eclipse interesting from a scientific point of view? The birthplace of solar storms
During a total solar eclipse, we can admire the Sun’s atmosphere—a layer called the corona that extends from the Sun’s surface far into space—for a few minutes from Earth. The region close to the Sun’s surface is where the solar wind and plasma clouds are accelerated and solar flares originate. It is an area that has been little studied because it is difficult to observe.
Making Progress with Proba-3
Natural solar eclipses are rare and last only a few minutes, with a zone of totality that is sometimes difficult to reach and clouds that can obscure the Sun. That is why scientists have designed special telescopes capable of observing solar eclipses from space. We call these coronagraphs. Traditional coronagraphs have limitations: the region just above the Sun’s surface remains out of view.
That is why ESA designed Proba-3. This impressive dual-satellite system can capture long-duration solar eclipses on its own: 6 hours straight. A disc-shaped satellite flies in front of the Sun. The ASPIICS telescope on a second satellite then observes the solar atmosphere from within the shadow of the disk. Because of the large distance between the two satellites, this coronagraph is able to study the solar atmosphere close to the surface.
Thanks to observations of the solar eclipse on August 12 from Earth and via satellites, scientists can improve their models of the solar atmosphere. It is an excellent opportunity to refine our understanding of the solar wind.
Scientists will present an ASPIICS image from late July. Between July 30 and August 12, the Sun rotated 180 degrees. Since we know that the large-scale magnetic structures in the solar atmosphere will change very little during that short period, this image is the mirror image of what we expect to see on August 12.
As early as the morning of August 12, at 10:43 a.m., the Sun will be doubly eclipsed for ASPIICS: the Sun, the Moon, the disk-shaped satellite, and ASPIICS will all be aligned! The unique images this will produce will be shown in an ESA live stream.
Support from the EUI Space Instrument Aboard Solar Orbiter
The EUI (Extreme Ultraviolet Imager) instrument on the Solar Orbiter spacecraft will take close-ups of the lower solar atmosphere during the solar eclipse.
At the time of the solar eclipse, Solar Orbiter will be located east of the Sun in the sky, far away from Earth. Thus, while the EUI will not be flying in the Moon’s shadow, it will be able to capture detailed top-down observations of the solar atmosphere that we will be able to see from Earth.
Proba-2 Will Observe the Solar Eclipse Three Times
The Proba-2 satellite, on the other hand, orbits Earth so quickly that it will pass through the Moon’s shadow three times. The SWAP and LYRA instruments on board will therefore observe three partial solar eclipses, with a maximum eclipse of 68% for the SWAP telescope.
Timing of the solar eclipse in other locations
The times of the first contact and the peak of the solar eclipse depend on where you are. Check the website of the Observatory: eclipse times calculated by ROB
