A total solar eclipse crosses Iceland on Wednesday 12 August 2026. A solar filter secured over the front of the optics is required before viewing the sun through a camera lens, telescope or binoculars.
The filter goes on the front of the lens
A special-purpose solar filter must be secured over the front of a camera lens, telescope or binoculars before the sun is viewed through it. Viewing any part of the bright sun through unfiltered optics causes immediate severe eye injury.
A filter fitted at the eyepiece end is dangerous because concentrated sunlight burns through it. The filter must also be attached securely enough not to be dislodged.
Eclipse glasses and optics do not mix
Safe eclipse glasses meet the ISO 12312-2 standard. Their filters reduce ultraviolet and infrared radiation and reduce the sun’s brightness to a safe level.
Check eclipse glasses for scratches, cracks and holes before use, then put them on before looking at the sun. Looking through unfiltered optics while wearing eclipse glasses is dangerous because concentrated sunlight burns through the glasses.
The only moment the filter comes off
Solar filters stay on cameras and telescopes throughout the partial phases. The filter may be removed at the start of totality, when the moon completely covers the bright face of the sun.
The filter must be replaced at the end of totality before the partial phase resumes.
Screw-on and magnetic filters inside the path
Screw-on filters for telephoto lenses are hard to remove and replace quickly. They are awkward inside the path of totality and suit locations outside the path, where the filter stays on throughout.
Magnetic solar filters are quicker to remove and replace than screw-on filters. They are made for a limited range of lenses.
Watching without a camera
A pinhole projector has a small opening that projects an image of the sun onto a nearby surface. The image is viewed with the sun behind the viewer.
Ordinary sunglasses are not safe for looking directly at the sun.
Where the eclipse is total in Iceland
The path of totality crosses western Iceland: the Westfjords, Snaefellsnes, West Iceland, the Greater Reykjavik Area and the Reykjanes peninsula. In the rest of Iceland, the eclipse is partial rather than total.
Authorities recommend that people inside the path of totality watch from their homes or their local area. They also encourage the use of designated viewing areas in urban locations.
Comparing Reykjavik tours
Checking sun times for the day
Check sunrise, sunset and day length for a chosen date and place in Iceland with the daylight tool.
Reading the rest of eclipse day
The day itself, region by region, is covered in the 2026 solar eclipse guide, and the shortlist of places is in where to watch the eclipse.
Glasses come before cameras: read eclipse glasses and eye safety. Whether the sky cooperates is a separate question, covered in reading the cloud forecast.
Tours that put you inside the path are compared on the eclipse tour comparison page.
