In Paris for the Solar Eclipse of August 12, 2026
Paris, August 12, 2026
Lucky me to be in Paris to witness Europe’s first solar eclipse in decades. And since Paris was not going to fall into total darkness (only 92.2%), I chose the Pont Alexandre III, the City of Light’s most beautiful bridge, to enhance the backdrop of the celestial spectacle.
The Solar Eclipse & The Eiffel Tower
And because we were all turned westward on the Pont Alexandre III, the majestic Eiffel Tower lingered in every frame, rising like a sentinel over the fading light.
Eclipses captivate us because they occur so infrequently
The moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, yet also 400 times closer to Earth. This coincidence makes them appear the same size from our perspective.
The sun, the moon, and the Earth move in a gravitational choreography, and when their alignment is exact, we witness a solar eclipse. For a brief few minutes, the moon aligned perfectly with the sun, and casted a shadow that plunged part of the Earth into darkness, and other part is semi-darkness.
About the Pont Alexandre III
The Pont Alexandre III a triumph of Belle Époque aesthetics and advanced engineering. The bridge was intended not only as infrastructure but as an open-air artwork, dazzling visitors arriving for the 1900 World’s Fair (Exposition Universelle).
History
– Built: 1896–1900
– Inaugurated: 14 April 1900 for the World’s Fair
– Named after: Tsar Alexander III of Russia, honoring the 1891 Franco‑Russian Alliance
– Foundation stone: Laid by Tsar Nicholas II in 1896
– Status: Classified as a Monument Historique since 1975
Facts
– A single steel arch only 6 meters high, an engineering feat designed to preserve river views.
– Four monumental 17-meter pylons crowned with gilded bronze winged horses (“Les Renommées”), representing Arts, Sciences, Commerce, and Industry.
– Rich ornamentation: cherubs, nymphs, lions, dolphins, bronze candelabras, and allegorical sculptures celebrating different eras of France.
– Designed by architects Joseph Cassien-Bernard and Gaston Cousin, and engineered by Jean Résal and Amédée Alby.