SOLAR ECLIPSE · WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2026
Barely. 2.2% of the Sun, and you won't notice it without glasses.
The August 12, 2026 solar eclipse is technically visible from Virginia Beach, but barely: at maximum, 2.2% of the Sun is covered at 1:58 PM EDT, and daylight will look completely normal; even a 50% eclipse leaves the day looking ordinary. With eclipse glasses you can watch a small bite between 1:28 PM and 2:27 PM.
EYE SAFETY: READ BEFORE YOU LOOK
A partial eclipse is never safe to look at unprotected
- Never look at the partially eclipsed Sun with bare eyes.Sunglasses are not protection, not even several pairs stacked, no matter how dark.
- Use ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, checked for scratches or damage before every use.
- Never point a camera, telescope, or binoculars at the Sun while wearing eclipse glasses: concentrated sunlight destroys the filter and your eyes. Optics need their own solar filter mounted on the front of the instrument.
- No glasses? Pinhole projection is the safe indirect method: cross your fingers into a waffle and watch the crescent Suns on the ground, even the gaps between tree leaves act as natural pinholes.
SAME NIGHT
Make it a double feature
Maximum eclipse is 1:58 PM; after dark that same night, the Perseid meteor shower (the year's best) peaks over Virginia Beach under a moonless sky.
Perseids over Virginia Beach that night →Common questions
Where should I look?
Face south-southwest (SSW): the Sun stands 65.3° above the horizon at maximum eclipse, at 1:58 PM local time. Never look at it without ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses; ordinary sunglasses are not protection, no matter how dark.
What time exactly is the eclipse in Virginia Beach?
First contact is at 1:28 PM, maximum eclipse at 1:58 PM, and last contact at 2:27 PM local time on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 59 minutes from start to finish.
Do I need eclipse glasses?
Yes. For every second of it. Even at maximum, 97.8% of the Sun's surface is still blazing over Virginia Beach, far more than enough to damage your eyes. Use ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer.
Will clouds block it?
Hourly cloud forecasts reach only about 16 days out, so Virginia Beach's August 12 forecast opens around July 27. This page picks it up automatically the moment it exists; check back then.