12 August 2026: Malta, Europe’s Solar Eclipse and a Visit to Ġnien tal-Għarusa tal-Mosta

August 12th, 2026, marked an important date for European astronomy. Those keen on the topic will undoubtedly have had it marked on their calendar, as the day of a total solar eclipse, with meteors as well.

Lwrnc.photos / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

With such a big continent, it is understandable that not all European countries experienced the eclipse in the same way.  In Malta, the eclipse was quite minor, however, the scene was more dramatic in other European countries. In the Arctic and northern Spain (not only) the sun was completely covered for a few moments, turning daytime momentarily into night. This was quite a special moment as a total solar eclipse like this hadn’t happened in Europe since 1999.

Despite such a rarity, there seems to have been a shortage of special glasses that are safe to watch the eclipse with. It’s vital to have a protector between the eyes and the sun. Looking at the sun directly can cause eye damage! People got quite creative in their search for a solution, using everything from phones, cardboard boxes and colanders to pinhole projectors.

The main viewing points in Malta for the partial eclipse were Had-Dingli Cliffs, then Dwejra in Gozo. None of us are enthusiasts on the topic, so at the time, we were at Gnien tal-Għarusa tal-Mosta. This location deserves a blog post of its own. The Victoria lines run along one side of its perimeter, there is an open-air Greek theatre, benches, and a small playground for the kids. 

Il-Gnien tal-Gharusa tal-Mosta

What's more, it is also on the same grounds as the arts MCAST college, although I hear there are plans to merge the school with the Paola one. A pity, as the scenery the area has to offer must surely be much more inspiring to young artists than the traffic congested one at Paola. 

One of MCAST Mosta's buildings

The eclipse was supposed to occur between 7:40 and 7:50pm, and while there was a person here and there looking out for it at the park, the majority flocked over to Dingli cliffs. A good choice - for the hill where Bidnija lay ahead of us was blocking a section of the setting sun, and this must have been the part that was eclipsed. It was not visible from that location. 

Supposedly Solar Eclipse. Where is it??

We walked a bit along the Victoria Lines. The Lines span from west to east across Malta, and certain sections are not easily accessible. This one is, and appears to be in a very good state. There is constant work to keep these lines in a decent state. Sometimes, certain sections that have either given way over time or have been vandalised are simply rebuilt.

A small portion of the wall was demolished and rebuilt. 

Same wall

Finally, the usual sign for Santa Marija was up! This makes a nice sight when coming up from St.Paul's Bay or Mellieha. 

The sign reads - Viva Santa Marija