es2621 — Organisation Release
The Sun Takes Centre Stage
A Day and Night of Astronomy and a Solar Eclipse
9 July 2026, Garching b. München
On Wednesday, 12 August, everything at the ESO Supernova revolves around the Sun. We are participating in the nationwide Long Night of Astronomy and await you with a variety of special programs until 22:00.
While warm evenings invite us to explore the stars, 12 August offers a special opportunity to turn our attention to our nearest star – the Sun. The ESO Supernova team invites visitors to spend the day discovering solar astronomy and learning about the partial solar eclipse that will take place later that evening.
Throughout the afternoon (weather permitting), visitors will be able to observe the Sun safely through specially equipped solar telescopes. Sunspots, prominences and other fascinating features of the solar surface will be visible, while experienced astronomers explain the Sun's activity and demonstrate how the Sun can be observed safely.
The partial solar eclipse will be another key focus of the event. We are presenting our special, live planetarium show Turn Off the Sun twice. It explains how solar eclipses occur and why they appear differently depending on the observer's location.
As the Sun will be very low above the horizon when the eclipse begins, it can only be seen from a small number of elevated locations with an unobstructed western horizon. For this reason, the event is not intended as a public eclipse-viewing session. Instead, visitors can spend the day learning about the Sun and eclipses, before having the opportunity to follow the total eclipse via a live stream from locations where viewing conditions are far more favourable.
Whether you are an experienced amateur astronomer or simply curious about the night (and day) sky, the event offers a unique opportunity to explore our nearest star, gain a deeper understanding of one of the year's most fascinating celestial events, and experience the excitement of astronomy in good company.
This event is part of the Long Night of Astronomy, an event during which the Stiftung Planetarium Berlin, the German Astronomical Society, the Society of German-speaking Planetariums, the Vereinigung der Sternfreunde, and Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), together with numerous astronomical institutions throughout Germany, invite you to share your enthusiasm for astronomy with a varied programme. You can find a list of all participating institutions, locations, and program offerings at www.lange-nacht-der-astronomie.de
The ESO Supernova will be open continuously between 9:00 and 22:00. We recommend booking tickets for planetarium shows in advance. You can visit our exhibition and other special programs without a ticket.
Links
- Full Programme for Long Night of Astronomy
- ESO Supernova planetarium programme
- Plan your visit
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- Follow us on Instagram
Contacts
ESO Supernova Planetarium & Besucherzentrum
Garching b. München
Tel: +49 89 320 06 900
Email: supernova@eso.org
About the Release
| Release No.: | es2621 |
