# Solar Eclipse in Slovenia (12 August 2026): Where and How to See It

> On 12 August 2026 the sun will set over Slovenia 86-91% eclipsed: a solar crescent resting on the western horizon. Exact timings, the best spots (coast, Tromeja, Krvavec), safety, and the Perseid peak the same night.

- Author : Patrick Faust — French expat living in Slovenia since 2004, founder of e-Slovenie
- Published : 2026-08-10
- Updated : 2026-08-11
- Language : English
- Canonical : https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/solar-eclipse-slovenia/
- French version : https://www.e-slovenie.com/articles/eclipse-solaire-slovenie/
- Tags : Solar eclipse, Astronomy, Perseids, Slovenian coast

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On Wednesday **12 August 2026**, the sun will set over Slovenia as a thin crescent: at the moment it touches the horizon, the moon will be covering **86 to 91% of it, depending on where you stand**. The eclipse is only total in Iceland, Greenland and northern Spain, but the Slovenian version has a charm the maps don't show: here, everything happens in the last twenty minutes of daylight, very low on the west-northwest horizon. Here is where and how to make the most of it — I'll be out there too.

## The essentials at a glance

- **When: **Wednesday 12 August 2026, from 19:25-19:27 (first contact) until sunset, between 20:13 (Maribor) and 20:18 (the coast).
- **What: **a deep partial eclipse — the sun sinks below the horizon while still ~86-91% covered; the theoretical maximum occurs a minute or two after sunset.
- **Where to look: **west-northwest (azimuth ~292°). You need a perfectly clear horizon: sea, ridge line or a high viewpoint.
- **Best spots: **the coast (Piran, Strunjan, the Sečovlje salt pans) and heights with an open westward view (Tromeja above Rateče, Krvavec).
- **Safety: **ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses, right to the end — even a setting, eclipsed sun damages the retina.
- **Bonus: **the same night is the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, with no moon — stay out after 10 pm.

## What exactly happens on 12 August

The eclipse sweeps across the North Atlantic at the end of the day: total over Greenland, Iceland and then northern Spain, partial across central Europe. In Slovenia it begins with the sun only **7-8° above the horizon**, deepening as it sinks. In Ljubljana: first contact at **19:26**, half the sun covered by 19:57, 73% by 20:07, and sunset at **20:16 with roughly 88% of the disk devoured**. The computed maximum (90%) happens just afterwards, below the horizon — so you will quite literally watch a crescent sun sink behind the landscape.

Expect the evening light to turn strange in the final quarter-hour — metallic, like an autumn dusk in the middle of August. That's also what makes this eclipse so photogenic: a solar crescent resting on the horizon, no astronomer's gear required (a solar filter is, though — see below).

## Timings town by town

- **Ljubljana: **starts 19:26, sunset 20:16 — ~88% of the sun covered at sunset.
- **Piran and the coast: **starts 19:27, sunset 20:18 over the sea — ~91%, the country's best figure, visible to the very end.
- **Kranjska Gora / Tromeja: **~90% at sunset — the north-west is the closest part of Slovenia to the path of totality.
- **Maribor and the east: **starts 19:25, earlier sunset (20:13) — ~86%; at Cirkulane near Ptuj the local maximum is at 20:09.
- **At altitude (1,500-2,500 m): **sunset comes 2-4 minutes later — and every minute counts that evening.

## Where to stand: my pick of spots

### The coast, the safest bet

A sea horizon never cheats: from [Piran](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/visit-piran/), the Strunjan headland or the dikes of the [Sečovlje salt pans](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/hidden-gems-slovenia/), the solar crescent will stay visible until it touches the Adriatic — at ~91%, the deepest coverage in the country. Statistically, it's also the region with the clearest August evening skies.

### Heights with an open western horizon

Slovenian astronomer Bojan Ambrožič recommends high points facing west: **Tromeja (Peč)**, the three-border summit above Rateče, or **Krvavec**, reachable by road. Beware the big-summit trap: from Kredarica, below Triglav, the ridges of the Julian Alps will hide the sun before the end. And if you climb, plan for the descent in the dark — headlamp essential, or a night in a mountain hut under the Perseids.

### In town, find a high point

In the valleys, the terrain cuts off the horizon, so gain some height. In Ljubljana, the Rašica observation tower or any terrace facing west-northwest will do; avoid Alpine valley floors, where the sun will vanish behind the mountains before the main event.

## Two public observing evenings

The **Orion astronomical society** sets up its telescopes at Šmartno na Pohorju (near Slovenska Bistrica) on 12 August from **7 pm until 2 am** — free entry, with the eclipse, then Perseids and planets on the programme. In **Cirkulane**, in the Haloze hills, the Kasiopeja group runs an observing session from 7 to 9 pm (advance registration was required). As of 10 August, the major observatories (Golovec, Črni Vrh) had announced nothing.

## Safety: never without protection

Even 90% covered, even resting on the horizon, **the sun must never be viewed with the naked eye** — and sunglasses are no protection at all. You need eclipse glasses certified **ISO 12312-2**: in Slovenia they're sold online (soncni-mrk.si, or the astronomy magazine Spika, around €25 for a pack) — though two days out, stocks are running low. No glasses? The pinhole method saves the evening: a pin-sized hole in cardboard projects the crescent onto a sheet of paper, and a kitchen colander casts dozens of little crescents. For photography, a solar filter on the lens is essential until the very last seconds.

## The bonus: the Perseids that same night

A solar eclipse happens, by definition, at new moon: the night of 12-13 August 2026 will therefore be **perfectly dark — and it's the peak of the Perseids**, August's great meteor shower. Under a good mountain sky, expect several dozen meteors an hour after 10 pm. Stay where you are: the high-altitude eclipse spots, or somewhere like [Velika Planina](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/velika-planina-hike/), offer some of the country's finest starry skies. One evening, two shows — the kind of moment I file with my [unusual experiences in Slovenia](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/10-unusual-experiences-slovenia/).

## What's next? The coming eclipses

No long wait: on **2 August 2027**, another partial eclipse will be visible from Slovenia, this time in mid-morning (maximum around 11:15, ~56% of the sun covered in Ljubljana) — far more comfortable to observe. That same day, southern Spain and North Africa get one of the century's longest total eclipses. Planning an observing road trip from Slovenia? Start with my [road trip itinerary](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/guide/slovenia-road-trip-itinerary/) and my [car rental guide](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/car-rental-slovenia/).

## Solar eclipse in Slovenia FAQ

### How much of the sun will be covered in Slovenia on 12 August 2026?

Between 86% (Maribor, in the east) and about 91% (the Piran coast) at the moment of sunset. The theoretical maximum — ~90% in Ljubljana — occurs a minute or two after sunset, so the sun disappears below the horizon as a thin crescent.

### What time is the eclipse in Slovenia?

First contact is at 19:25-19:27 depending on the town; coverage then deepens until sunset — 20:13 in Maribor, 20:16 in Ljubljana, 20:18 on the coast. The whole visible eclipse fits into about fifty minutes, very low on the west-northwest horizon.

### Can I watch the eclipsed sunset without eclipse glasses?

No. Even low and reddened by the atmosphere, a 90%-eclipsed sun remains dangerous for the retina — and the damage is insidious, because it doesn't hurt at the time. Use ISO 12312-2 certified glasses to the very end, or observe indirectly by projection (pinhole, colander).

### Where is the best place in Slovenia to see this eclipse?

The coast: from Piran, Strunjan or the Sečovlje salt pans, the sea horizon guarantees you'll follow the crescent until it touches the water, with the country's deepest coverage (~91%). In the mountains, Tromeja above Rateče and Krvavec offer an open western horizon; valley floors are best avoided.

### When is the next solar eclipse visible from Slovenia?

On 2 August 2027, in the morning: a partial eclipse peaking around 11:15 with about 56% of the sun covered in Ljubljana. The next total eclipse visible from Slovenian soil is a long way off — one more reason not to miss 12 August 2026.

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Source: [https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/solar-eclipse-slovenia/](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/solar-eclipse-slovenia/) — e-Slovenie, Slovenia travel guide by Patrick Faust. Full index: https://www.e-slovenie.com/llms.txt