Total Solar Eclipse in Greenland — August 12, 2026
Totality begins over eastern Greenland — the first landfall of the 2026 eclipse path.
Eastern Greenland is the very first inhabited land the Moon's umbral shadow touches on August 12, 2026. Totality here lasts roughly 2 minutes 5 seconds, with the Sun sitting fairly high above the western horizon. Ittoqqortoormiit and the fjords along the Blosseville Coast fall inside the central line.
Where to watch in Greenland
Cities, towns, and viewing spots ordered from best to broadest coverage. Times shown reflect the maximum eclipse for that location.
Viewing tips for Greenland
- →Charter flights and small expedition cruises are the practical way to reach the path.
- →Katabatic winds off the ice sheet can clear fog quickly — but also bring low cloud, so mobility helps.
- →Bring ISO-12312-2 certified eclipse glasses; the Sun is only safe to view unfiltered during totality itself.
📷 Camera Settings Matrix
Phone Photography
Manually lock focus and exposure at the sun's edge, turn off automatic night modes, and tape a certified solar filter over the lens element.
DSLR / Mirrorless Settings
ISO 100–200, aperture f/8 to f/11, shutter speed from about 1/4000s during partial phases down to around 1/2s during totality.
Recommended Focal Length
400mm to 800mm on a steady tracking tripod mount, with a heavy-duty solar safety filter attached throughout every partial phase.
📋 The Totality Timeline Checklist
Before Totality
Verify ISO 12312-2 certification markings on all eclipse glasses, align any tracking mounts, and calibrate exposure intervalometers.
During Totality
Remove the solar filter completely the moment the diamond ring flash disappears to safely observe the corona — this is the only phase where it's safe to view without a filter.
After Totality
Re-apply solar safety glasses and camera filters the instant Baily's beads reappear, marking the end of totality.
🎯 Tripod & Support
A sturdy tripod matters more than a fancy lens — even a light breeze will blur a long telephoto shot at 400mm+ if the setup isn't stable. For phone photography, a small tripod with a phone clamp frees both hands to also view the eclipse directly with your own certified glasses.
For long-lens setups, a gimbal or fluid video head makes it much easier to track the Sun's slow movement across the sky over the eclipse's multi-hour partial phases than a standard ball head.
🛡️ Protecting Your Equipment
An unfiltered lens pointed at the Sun can permanently damage a camera sensor within seconds — the same concentrated light that would burn a filter or an eye can just as easily damage a sensor's photosites. Keep the solar filter on securely for every partial phase, and only remove it during the brief window of full totality.
Attach filters with a secure fit (not just tape or a rubber band) so a gust of wind can't dislodge one at the wrong moment, and keep a lens cap on between shots to avoid any accidental exposure while you're adjusting settings.
⚠️ Common Eclipse Photography Mistakes
- →Forgetting to remove the solar filter during totality — the corona is far too faint to capture through a filter meant for the Sun's full brightness.
- →Forgetting to re-attach the filter the instant totality ends, risking both the camera and, if looking through an optical viewfinder, the eyes.
- →Spending the entire brief totality window fiddling with camera settings instead of looking up — many experienced eclipse photographers recommend pre-setting exposure brackets in advance so you can actually watch the event.
- →Using autofocus on the Sun, which often hunts and fails — pre-focus manually on infinity (or a distant object) before the eclipse begins.
- →Bringing an untested setup — practice the filter attachment, focus, and settings on the ordinary, un-eclipsed Sun in the days before, not for the first time during the event itself.
Every camera and phone needs its own certified solar filter, separate from the eclipse glasses you wear — see the eclipse glasses buying guide for eye safety, or Solar Viewing Gear for camera and telescope filters.
Other countries on August 12, 2026
Planning around the eclipse?
Our full 2026 eclipse hub has the interactive path map, a global time-and-location checker, live weather forecasts, and safety guidance.
Open the 2026 Eclipse Guide