Berlin, August 13th, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – Thousands of people in Berlin had a good idea on Wednesday: In order to actually see the total solar eclipse, they went to Tempelhofer Feld, the former airport. At this location, nothing obstructed the view of our star, the sun. Everyone assembled there experienced the big event.
When the moon finally covered 85 percent of the sun at 8:08 p.m., it got standing ovations. Tempelhofer Feld must have felt like Woodstock. People uploaded video clips which showed an atmosphere of that kind.
Further south, in Berlin’s Steglitz borough, people assembled on a bridge at the Feuerbachstrasse S-Bahn train station in order to see it. The problem: The sun disappeared behind buildings before the eclipse could have been seen.
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A few minutes later, inhabitants who had gathered on an Autobahn bridge nearby gave up as well, when the sun set behind buildings. So, in those cases, there was a double obstruction: Buildings obstructed the view of the moon, which obstructed the view of the sun. A double total eclipse.
Next time, more Berliners might find the right spot to experience the total solar eclipse at. They won’t have to wait long. It is scheduled to happen on September 3rd, 2081. Mark your calendars. Partial eclipses, anyone? Those happen more frequently.
