I'm a simple emigrant and I'll go watch the eclipse

Very soon, on August 12, the first total solar eclipse in a decade will occur. Although a total eclipse won’t be visible in Germany, we’ll still get something. It will start around 19:00–19:20, and reach its maximum at about 20:00–20:15 depending on the city. Then the Moon will cover the Sun most strongly. Here’s where it’s best to observe: 🚀 Schlossberg, Freiburg. Here the coverage will be the maximum in Germany: about 90%. Suitable viewing platforms are on slopes facing west. The Sun will be low, so the higher you go — the better. 🚀 Lohrberg, Frankfurt. We’re lucky too; we’ll see the Moon cover the Sun at about 88%. Lohrberg is an ideal viewing point because it sits on a high hill. And from there there’s a distant view to the west, which is where we need to look. 🚀 Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin. This is a huge open area of the former airfield, where nothing would interfere with the view. One of the best places in Germany to fully encompass the horizon. 🚀 Olympiaberg, Munich. Again we’re interested in elevation so surrounding buildings don’t block our view. From this hill you’ll have a great panoramic view of the western part of the sky. 🚀 Left Bank of the Rhine, Düsseldorf. For example, the area around the Landtag — there are many open pedestrian areas and low-rise development. Or near the lawn in Rheinpark park: wide green spaces where nothing blocks the horizon toward the sunset. People say this is the most reliable option in Düsseldorf. The main rule for choosing a viewing point: an open view to the west/northwest (WNW), without tall buildings and dense tree canopies. Open, spacious fields and hills are your choice. And most importantly: looking directly at the eclipse without protection is dangerous. This can seriously damage the retina. For those who don’t want to buy special glasses, the easiest method is projection. That is, you stand with your back to the eclipse and project the sun’s rays onto a white sheet or onto the ground using a sheet of paper with a hole, a colander, or simply by forming your fingers into a mesh to let the sun’s rays hit a white sheet or the ground. Ordinary sunglasses or film are an unsafe method. You can also wear welding goggles if you happen to have them. Are you planning to watch the eclipse? By the way, try Googling “solar eclipse.” #frankfurt #useful Photo: Vito Technology, Inc.