On 12 August 2026, a total solar eclipse made its grand return to the European continent.
The path of totality crossed Greenland, part of Iceland — including the Westfjords, which we had left only a few weeks earlier —, northern Spain and a tiny area in north-eastern Portugal.
Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to travel to any of these regions to experience totality. But there was no question of missing the show!
From Belgium, I would still be able to enjoy a partial eclipse with around 89.5% of the solar disc covered, and I had found a spot just a stone’s throw from home with one absolutely essential feature for this late-afternoon eclipse: a perfectly clear western horizon.
And, of course, I was not going to turn up empty-handed… For the occasion, I had brought:
- eclipse glasses;
- my Celestron EclipSmart 10×42 solar binoculars;
- my Unistellar Equinox 2;
- my Seestar S30 — and let me make this clear straight away: the standard S30, not the S30 Pro.
Let me tell you right away: there were winners… and one loser.
But first, what exactly is a solar eclipse?
An eclipse occurs when one celestial body occults another. In the case of a solar eclipse, the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun. Depending on where the phenomenon is observed from, it may cover part of the solar disc — a partial eclipse — or cover it completely during totality.
In Belgium, we therefore remained outside the path of totality on 12 August. But with almost 90% of the Sun hidden at maximum eclipse from my observing site, the show still promised to be particularly interesting.
Celestron EclipSmart 10×42: the very pleasant surprise
Let us begin with what was probably the evening’s pleasant surprise: the Celestron EclipSmart 10×42 solar binoculars. They are quite simply excellent.
Unlike ordinary eclipse glasses, they magnify the solar disc and therefore make it possible to follow the Moon’s progress across the Sun much more precisely. Above all, they make certain sunspots very easy to see.
Sunspots are regions of the Sun’s photosphere where extremely strong magnetic fields disrupt the transport of heat. They are therefore slightly cooler than the surrounding regions and appear much darker to us by contrast. Some can reach enormous dimensions.
Being able to follow the sunspots while watching the lunar disc gradually take a bite out of the Sun makes the observation far more detailed than with ordinary eclipse glasses.
Warning: solar observing requires purpose-built equipment
I really want to stress this point: these Celestron EclipSmart binoculars are specifically designed for solar observing, with permanent built-in filtration. Celestron states that their filtration system complies with the international ISO 12312-2:2015(E) standard.
Never point ordinary binoculars or a telescope without an appropriate solar filter at the Sun.
Most importantly, wearing eclipse glasses does NOT make ordinary binoculars or a standard telescope safe to use: the optics concentrate sunlight and can cause irreversible retinal damage.
In short: when it comes to the Sun, do not improvise.
Unistellar Equinox 2: how shall I put this… a disaster
Now let us turn to my Unistellar Equinox 2. I had taken precautions. A few days earlier, I had updated it specifically in preparation for the eclipse.
I was ready. It clearly was not.
The first problem: it could not find the Sun. I therefore had to start guiding the telescope manually, try to place the Sun in the field of view, and then ask it to run the detection again…
It was extremely laborious. For an observation in which the Sun is gradually sinking towards the horizon and every minute counts, this was frankly not the experience I had hoped for.
And when I finally managed to obtain some images… Well…
Let us simply say that I am not convinced by the result. On top of that, there is no true native solar timelapse function, which would have been perfect for an event like this. For a device in this price range, the experience was frankly disappointing.
Seestar S30: a completely different league
Then I switched on my Seestar S30.
And there…
Magic.
In terms of ease of use, we move into a completely different league. Sun detection was almost immediate and, only a few moments later, I was ready to observe and, above all, record the eclipse.
The real joy for this kind of event is the presence of a built-in timelapse function. A few settings and it was under way: the Seestar could progressively record the Moon’s passage across the Sun. The result is the video you will find at the end of this article.
I do have one criticism concerning the tracking… But this time, the criticism is mainly directed at myself.
I should have monitored the app more closely during the recording and occasionally recentered the Sun. The tracking remained perfectly acceptable, but it was not optimal throughout the sequence and the Sun gradually drifted across the field.
That will be a lesson for next time. Because yes, there will obviously be a next time. 😇
The next two major dates are already set: on 2 August 2027, a total solar eclipse will cross southern Spain and North Africa, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, with up to 6 min 23 sec of totality. Then, on 22 July 2028, the Moon’s shadow will cross Australia and New Zealand, with totality lasting up to 5 min 10 sec. Plenty of time to start dreaming about a future expedition… 😇
A little fun fact: watch the end of the timelapse carefully. You will see a satellite… followed by an aeroplane crossing the field. There could hardly have been a better ending to the observation.
The equipment verdict
After this eclipse, my ranking is quite clear. The Celestron EclipSmart 10×42 binoculars were an excellent surprise. They offer simple, comfortable solar observing with far more detail than eclipse glasses alone.
The Unistellar Equinox 2, on the other hand, was a real disappointment for this use: laborious Sun detection, handling that was far too complicated in the field, a photographic result that failed to convince me, and no native timelapse.
And then there is the Seestar S30. Fast detection, simple setup, an immediately usable view and built-in timelapse: it did exactly what I asked of it. And it did so remarkably well.
Once again, this little telescope impresses me. Its value for money is hard to beat, and you can feel the experience ZWO has accumulated in cameras and astronomy equipment behind it. Between the two smart telescopes present that evening, there was simply no contest for observing this eclipse.
Seestar S30: 1.
Equinox 2: 0.
But in the end, the equipment was not what mattered most
And yet, that is probably not what I will remember most about this evening. The most beautiful part was simply being able to observe the eclipse as a family, only a few minutes from home, in a beautiful and peaceful place.
Watching the Moon gradually take a bite out of the Sun, passing the binoculars from one person to another, regularly checking both telescopes… And simply enjoying the moment.
We can prepare all the equipment we like, compare telescopes, and talk about tracking, detection, cameras or timelapses… In the end, what remains above all is the rather extraordinary pleasure of looking up at the sky and watching the mechanics of the Solar System unfold before us. And for that, those 89.5% were easily worth travelling a few kilometres.
The eclipse timelapse
Here, at last, is the result recorded with the Seestar S30 — with the little satellite + aeroplane bonus at the end:
Watch the timelapse of the 12 August 2026 eclipse on YouTube
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