Deep Partial Solar Eclipse Visible Across Ireland and UK on Aug. 12

A deep partial solar eclipse will be visible across Ireland and the UK on Wednesday evening, August 12, 2026, offering a rare celestial spectacle that experts describe as the most significant seen from the region since 1999. The event will not be a total eclipse, but the Moon will obscure more than 90% of the Sun in many locations, creating a dramatic crescent shape in the sky.

The eclipse is scheduled to begin at approximately 6:10 p.m. BST. It will reach its maximum coverage around 7:08 p.m. and conclude by about 8:03 p.m. The entire partial phase will last for roughly two hours. During the peak, the Sun will be reduced to a thin sliver of light low on the western horizon.

Coverage will vary across the island. The west and south of Ireland are expected to see up to 98% of the Sun obscured, while the east and north will see approximately 94%. Specific city forecasts indicate Cork will experience one of the deepest eclipses at about 96.44% coverage, with Dublin seeing around 93.99%. In Northern Ireland, Belfast is forecast to see 93% coverage. The path of totality, where the Sun is completely blocked, will pass over parts of Spain, Greenland, and Iceland, but not over Ireland or...