Two major eclipses are coming this August – and South Africa WILL see one of them
· The South African
Skywatchers are in for an exciting month in August, with two eclipses set to take place just over two weeks apart.
The celestial events will include a total solar eclipse on 12 August and a deep partial lunar eclipse on 28 August.
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For South Africans hoping to witness the spectacle from home, though, the two events will offer very different viewing prospects.
The total solar eclipse on 12 August
The first event will be the more dramatic of the two – a total solar eclipse on Wednesday, 12 August.
During a total solar eclipse, the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the Sun’s disc for observers within a narrow path of totality.
The 2026 solar event will be visible in totality across parts of Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain, with the path also extending across parts of the North Atlantic and Arctic regions. A partial coverage will be visible across a much wider area.
Unfortunately for South African skywatchers, the total solar eclipse will not be visible from South Africa. The country also falls outside the main region where the partial event can be observed.
That means anyone in South Africa will miss out on this particular solar spectacle.
Those travelling to areas where the event is visible should remember that looking directly at the Sun during the partial phases can cause serious eye damage. Certified glasses or appropriate solar filters are essential.
South Africans can still see the livestream of the spectacle here.
The celestial event SA will see
The second event will be much better news for South Africans.
On Friday, 28 August, a deep partial lunar eclipse will occur, visible from South Africa.
During a lunar eclipse, Earth moves between the Sun and Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. Unlike a solar eclipse, it is completely safe to look at a lunar eclipse with the naked eye.
This particular event will be a particularly deep partial eclipse, with around 96% of the Moon’s surface entering Earth’s darkest shadow at maximum eclipse.
The Moon may take on a reddish-orange appearance, although it will not technically be a total “blood moon” because a small portion of the lunar disc will remain outside the darkest part of Earth’s shadow.
What time will the eclipse be visible in South Africa?The lunar eclipse will begin with the Moon entering Earth’s faint outer shadow at around 3:23 am SAST on 28 August.
The partial phase will begin at approximately 5:12 am, with the eclipse reaching its maximum at around 6:12 am.
However, there is a catch: the Moon will be very low in the western sky around the time of maximum eclipse and will set shortly afterwards.
In Durban, for example, the Moon will be just above the western horizon at maximum eclipse, making an unobstructed view particularly important. The partial eclipse begins at around 4:33 am local time in Durban, with maximum eclipse at 6:12 am, shortly before moonset.
The eclipse will also be visible from other parts of South Africa, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Pretoria and Gqeberha. However, the Moon’s position above the horizon will vary by location.
In Johannesburg, for instance, the Moon will be only a few degrees above the western horizon at maximum eclipse.
For South Africans hoping to catch the best possible view, an elevated location with a completely unobstructed view towards the west will be the best bet.