Partial Solar Eclipse — Ireland
The Sun,
Interrupted.
On the evening of 12 August 2026, the Moon slid across the face of the Sun over Ireland, carving it down to a thin, blazing crescent. It was widely seen: totality crossed Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain, with partial phases over Europe, North Africa and the Americas. Scroll to replay the alignment.
Scroll to replay01 — What Is It
A geometric alignment of Sun, Moon, and Earth
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun. In a partial eclipse, the Moon does not completely cover the Sun from your location, so a crescent of sunlight remains visible. The exact shape depends on where you are standing and the local timing of the alignment. No two vantage points see quite the same event.
02 — When It Happens
Late afternoon to early evening over Ireland
On August 12th, from Dublin, the partial eclipse ran from first contact at 18:12 to final contact at 20:05 IST, with maximum eclipse at 19:10. The Sun sat low to the west-north-west, so a clear horizon mattered.
- 01First contact — the Moon began to bite into the Sun.
- 02Deep partial — sunlight narrowed dramatically.
- 03Maximum — roughly 94% coverage from this viewpoint.
- 04Exit — the Moon moved off and daylight strengthened.
03 — Coverage
0%
Maximum obscuration over Dublin — a wafer-thin crescent of sunlight remained.
1h 52m
Total duration of the visible partial phase, first to final contact.
The sequence is tuned so the Moon misses perfect centre alignment by a small amount. That leaves a thin bright solar crescent, matching the extreme partial eclipse Ireland saw rather than a total eclipse.
04 — Where In The Sky
The eclipse track above your horizon
From Dublin, the eclipsed Sun stayed low in the west sky, centered around 275° azimuth. In directional terms that is West 5° North.
- First contact23° altitude
- Maximum eclipse15° altitude
- Final contact7° altitude
A clear west horizon mattered. Low cloud or buildings could hide part of the event even where local coverage was high.
05 — Path of Totality
Where the Sun went fully dark
Ireland only ever saw a partial eclipse. The narrow track of totality, where the Moon blotted the Sun out completely, swept down out of the Arctic across Greenland, crossed western Iceland, raced over the North Atlantic and made landfall in northern Spain around sunset. To stand in the Moon's full shadow, that band was where you would have needed to be. Outside it the eclipse was still widely visible as a partial one — across Ireland, Britain and the rest of Europe, over North Africa, and from parts of North America. For precise location coverage consult timeanddate.com
06 — Eye Safety
Never view the Sun directly without proper protection
- Use certified solar viewers that meet ISO 12312-2.
- Do not use normal sunglasses, camera filters, or smoked glass.
- Make a pinhole camera to project the eclipse onto a surface.
- If using telescopes or binoculars, use approved front-mounted solar filters.
- Supervise children closely during observation.
07 — Local Circumstances & Resources
Where to check the exact local circumstances
Times and coverage on this page are illustrative. On the day, cloud cover and a clear west-north-west horizon decided what any given observer actually saw — the sources below hold the authoritative figures for any location.