12/08/2026
🌒 **SOLAR ECLIPSE OVER ERRIS THIS EVENING** 🌒
Keep an eye on the skies this evening as one of the most impressive solar eclipses visible from Ireland in many years takes place.
Here at **SOLAS on the Mullet Peninsula**, our position on Ireland's Atlantic edge — approximately **54.1° North, 10.1° West** — puts us in an excellent location to experience a very deep partial eclipse.
🌞 **What can we expect?**
From our part of Mayo, the eclipse begins at approximately **6:11pm**, reaches its maximum at around **7:09pm**, and ends at approximately **8:04pm**.
At maximum, the eclipse will have a **magnitude of approximately 0.95**. This means the Moon will cover almost the entire diameter of the Sun, leaving only a narrow bright crescent visible.
🌍 **Why does our location matter?**
The path of total eclipse passes across the North Atlantic to the northwest of Ireland. Our location on the western edge of Mayo places us relatively close to that path, meaning we will experience a particularly deep partial eclipse.
We won't experience total darkness or a total solar eclipse here, but with such a large portion of the Sun obscured, we may notice a very unusual reduction in daylight around the time of maximum eclipse.
☁️ **Now for the very Irish problem… the clouds!**
At the moment, we have considerable cloud cover over Erris and conditions aren't looking particularly promising. However, Atlantic weather can change quickly, and even a brief break or thinning in the cloud around **7:09pm** could give us a glimpse of the eclipse.
If you're hoping to watch, find somewhere with a good, unobstructed view towards the **western sky**.
⚠️ **Please remember:** Never look directly at the Sun without certified eclipse glasses or suitable solar-viewing equipment — even through thin cloud. Ordinary sunglasses are **not** safe for viewing an eclipse.
Now all we need is a little cooperation from the Erris weather! 🌒☀️Mayo North Tourism, Ireland
North Mayo Heritage Centre Gaeilge Iorrais Visitbelmullet.ie Great Lighthouses of Ireland
