Solar Eclipse in Sligo, Ireland
~88% partial
What Sligo will see
Sligo sits inside Ireland's viewing zone for the August 12, 2026 solar eclipse. The entire island of Ireland will see a very deep partial eclipse on August 12, 2026 — roughly 85–89% coverage, with the west and north closer to the path. It is the deepest solar eclipse visible from Ireland since 1999 and the deepest before the total eclipse of 2090.
For observers in Sligo specifically: ~88% partial. The eclipse unfolds over roughly two to three hours from first contact to last contact — the maximum shown above is the single moment when the Moon covers the most of the Sun as seen from your location. Because this is a partial eclipse from Sligo, the Sun is never fully covered and never safe to look at without ISO-12312-2 filters.
Need the official contact-time map? NASA interactive eclipse map
Safety & how to watch from Sligo
- →Use ISO-12312-2 certified eclipse glasses — a 15% Sun is still bright enough to injure vision.
- →West-coast Atlantic viewpoints (Mayo, Donegal) give the deepest partial phase in Ireland.
📷 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 cities in Ireland
Live weather & cloud cover for Sligo
Clear-sky odds matter more than magnification. Check the live local forecast for Sligo — cloud cover, transparency, and sunset/sunrise timing all determine whether you'll actually see the eclipsed Sun.
Frequently asked questions — Sligo eclipse
Will the August 12, 2026 solar eclipse be visible from Sligo?+
Yes. ~88% partial About 20:20 IST (UTC+01:00) — early evening, Sun low in the west-northwest.
What time does the eclipse start and peak in Sligo?+
About 20:20 IST (UTC+01:00) — early evening, Sun low in the west-northwest. Contact times shift by a minute or two across Ireland — NASA's interactive map gives first-contact, maximum, and last-contact times for the exact coordinates of Sligo.
How much of the Sun will be covered from Sligo?+
Sligo sits in the "deep partial" zone. The peak obscuration reaches roughly 87% for the best-placed observers in Ireland; Sligo specifically sees ~88% partial
Is it safe to look at the eclipse from Sligo without glasses?+
No. The Sun over Sligo is never fully covered on August 12, 2026, so it stays dangerously bright the entire time. Use ISO-12312-2 certified solar glasses or a #14 welder's filter for the whole viewing window.
What's the weather usually like in Sligo on August 12?+
Mid-August conditions in Sligo vary year to year, so cloud cover is the single biggest unknown. Use the live local forecast linked on this page in the days leading up to the eclipse — clear-sky odds matter more than any equipment.
Is the eclipse in Sligo accessible for people who can't travel to the path of totality?+
Sligo won't see totality, but the partial eclipse is visible from anywhere with a clear view of the Sun — a park, balcony, or open street with ISO-certified glasses. Live streams from inside the path of totality (linked from our main eclipses hub) are the accessible option for the total phase itself.
Do I need a telescope or camera to watch from Sligo?+
No. The partial phases are dramatic with certified eclipse glasses alone. For photos, a phone through a solar filter works; a DSLR or mirrorless with a solar-filtered zoom lens gives sharper results. Never point an unfiltered camera, phone, or telescope at the Sun.
What camera settings work best for photographing the eclipse from Sligo?+
For the partial phases (which is all of the eclipse if Sligo isn't in the path of totality), keep a certified solar filter on the lens the entire time: ISO 100–200, aperture f/8–f/11, and a fast shutter speed around 1/4000s. Since totality never happens here, the filter should stay on for every shot.
Where can I check live cloud cover for Sligo before the eclipse?+
Use the "Live sky forecast for Sligo" link on this page — it opens our real-time tonight-sky page with current cloud cover, transparency, and hour-by-hour weather sourced from Open-Meteo, plus a link to the Open-Meteo forecast data source.
See the full Ireland guide
City list, viewing tips, and how Sligo fits into the wider Ireland path.
Open Ireland eclipse guide