Poland and Europe Look to the Sky: Solar Eclipse Captivates Prime Minister and Citizens Alike

Poland and continental Europe witnessed a partial solar eclipse, the first total eclipse visible in Europe since 1999, drawing crowds from mountain peaks to beaches as Prime Minister Donald Tusk joined observers.

Operation Eclipse Begins

“We are starting ‘Operation Eclipse,'” wrote Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

“An eclipse is always impressive. It is pure magic,” the prime minister told reporters in an interview.

Donald Tusk also recalled a previous eclipse he had the opportunity to watch: “That was in primary school. I remember we got a bottle glass from our teacher. And a few years later, we watched through smoked glass over a fire.”

First Total Solar Eclipse in Europe Since 1999

On Wednesday, a total solar eclipse could be seen in continental Europe for the first time since 1999. The phenomenon was best visible in Iceland and northern Spain. A partial eclipse occurred in most of Europe, including Poland.

The most favorable observation conditions were in the western and northern parts of the country. The maximum phase reached 88 percent in the Kłodzko Valley. It was least spectacular in the Bieszczady Mountains, where observers saw 42 percent of the solar disk obscured before sunset. Depending on the location, the eclipse began between approximately 7:10 PM and 7:20 PM.

Observations from Kasprowy Wierch in the Tatras

In the Tatra Mountains, tourists observed the solar eclipse from Kasprowy Wierch. The sun, moving lower and lower toward the horizon, hid between the Giewont massif and Kopa Kondracka. The first observers secured their spots on the peak around 6:00 PM, long before the phenomenon began.

As 7:00 PM approached, the number of people gazing at the sun over the western horizon on Kasprowy Wierch increased. Some had only sunglasses, others special eclipse-viewing glasses, and there were even daredevils who used ski goggles. Some were equipped with professional optical equipment.

In the Zakopane area, the partial eclipse began around 7:20 PM, and its maximum occurred around 8:00 PM, just before the sun set below the horizon.

Poznań Viewers and Canceled Observatory Events

In Poznań, during the maximum coverage, the Moon was set to obscure almost 84 percent of the solar disk. The eclipse began at 7:15 PM, and the maximum phase in the capital of Greater Poland could be observed at 8:10 PM, according to scientists from the Astronomical Observatory Institute of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy at Adam Mickiewicz University.

Observations of the phenomenon from the park at the Observatory were canceled due to the low altitude of the Sun above the horizon and, consequently, the impossibility of convenient observation from that location. However, joint viewing of the eclipse was organized by a restaurant in Okrąglák and Przystań Warto, where the ticket price included a drink, eclipse-viewing glasses, and a special phone filter.

In the city center, however, there was no special interest in the eclipse, although individuals could be encountered in Poznań housing estates sitting in black glasses or looking at the Sun through dark glass. “Such phenomena may be interesting, but what impact does it have on our lives? People used to believe that these might be some signs, but now? The Sun will set completely today anyway, and tomorrow it will rise again, we’ll have to go to work again,” said Krzysztof, a resident, to PAP.

Crowds Gather on the Beach in Krynica Morska

Meanwhile, on the beach in Krynica Morska (Pomerania), hundreds of residents and tourists observed the solar eclipse. The sky over the Vistula Spit provided good visibility of all phases of the event. The gathered crowd followed the progress of the eclipse both standing and from blankets or deckchairs, documenting the successive stages of the Moon covering the Sun’s disk.

Next Total Solar Eclipse in 2027

The next total solar eclipse, visible in southern Spain, North Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, can be observed on August 2, 2027. At that time, its longest phase will last 6 minutes and 23 seconds.