Solar eclipse of August 12, 2026: the forecourt of the Château de Saint-Ouen will host an evening of eclipse viewing

An evening on a Wednesday to scan the Sun? For once, it's highly recommended… as long as you’ve got the right glasses! In Seine-Saint-Denis (93), Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine is making the most of the solar eclipse of August 12, 2026 to turn the castle forecourt into an open-air viewing spot. The City and ATLAS, the municipal science culture center, will welcome Audonians from 7:00 PM to 8:17 PM, as part of the Audonian Summer. The gathering point is at 10/12 rue Albert Dhalenne.

Éclipse solaire du 12 août 2026 : where to observe the phenomenon from Paris and the surrounding area? The key events and viewing spots
On August 12, 2026, a spectacular partial solar eclipse will be visible from Paris and the whole Île-de-France region. Here’s where you can witness this astronomical phenomenon and the events lined up for this viewing! [Read more]

Why is this celestial event worth a quick glance skyward? A total solar eclipse will sweep across several regions of the Northern Hemisphere that day. Greenland, Iceland and parts of Spain will notably experience totality. In Île-de-France, the Moon will only cover part of the solar disk, with a partial eclipse visible later in the day.

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To watch the Moon’s passage without burning your eyes, 500 pairs of certified eclipse glasses will be handed out starting at 7 p.m. in front of the castle, while stocks last. The evening also features the exhibition "Le jour du Soleil noir." This is an initiative months in the making by ATLAS, which has already distributed 900 pairs of glasses since June at its astronomy-themed events.

But don’t take the expression "plein les yeux" literally. Looking directly at the Sun without glasses specially designed and certified for solar viewing is dangerous, eclipse or not. Ordinary sunglasses stay in their case: on Wednesday evening we’ll pull out the proper lenses before we raise our eyes!

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