Topline
The U.K.‘s biggest solar eclipse until 2090 arrives on Wednesday, Aug. 12, when the moon will cover more than 90% of the sun for millions across Britain. Although the path of totality misses the British Isles, this will be the country’s deepest partial solar eclipse since 2015, with observers in southwest England seeing up to 96% of the sun obscured shortly before sunset. Although there will be no view of the sun’s corona — something reserved only for those in the path of totality in eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain — that won’t be bettered until Sept. 23, 2090, the U.K.’s next total solar eclipse.
Key Facts
The partial solar eclipse will be visible across the entire U.K., with London, Manchester and Glasgow seeing about 91% of the sun covered, Cardiff about 93%, Belfast 93%, and southwest England up to 96%.
Maximum eclipse occurs at around 7:05 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. BST, depending on location, with the entire event lasting from roughly 6:00 p.m. until just after 8:00 p.m. BST.
This will be the deepest partial solar eclipse visible from Britain since March 20, 2015, and the most impressive eclipse many Britons will see before the country’s next total solar eclipse on Sept. 23, 2090.
The sun will sit only about 13-16 degrees above the west-northwest horizon at maximum eclipse, making beaches, cliffs, hilltops and other locations with unobstructed western views ideal observing sites.
It is never safe to look directly at the partially eclipsed sun without ISO 12312-2-certified eclipse glasses or approved solar filters for cameras, telescopes and binoculars.
The event also comes just hours before the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak, creating one of the best nights of the year for skywatching.
Cornwall And The Isles Of Scilly Get Britain’s Best View
The deepest eclipse in the U.K. will occur across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, where up to 96% of the sun will be obscured. Land’s End, the Lizard Peninsula and St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly are among the locations that will see the biggest partial eclipse. However, across Britain, the difference in eclipse depth is relatively small, meaning almost everyone can enjoy an impressive view without traveling.
A Low Evening Eclipse Means Location Matters
Unlike many solar eclipses that occur high in the sky, this event happens during the evening with the sun already descending toward the horizon. Observers should arrive early at a location with an uninterrupted west-northwest view, since buildings, trees and hills could easily block the eclipsed sun. Although daylight will noticeably dim, the landscape will not become completely dark.
WHERE IS THE PATH OF TOTALITY?
A total solar eclipse will be seen from a 180-mile-wide path of totality across eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, where the moon’s umbral shadow will touch Earth. In those places, day will briefly turn to twilight and, in a clear sky, the sun’s corona will become visible around the moon for up to 2 minutes 18 seconds. A total solar eclipse occurs for somewhere on Earth roughly every 16 months, but at any one place they are very rare, often returning only once every few centuries.
WHERE TO SEE THE ECLIPSE IN THE U.S.
Unlike the April 8, 2024 “Great American Eclipse,” no part of North America will experience totality on Aug. 12, when only the moon’s fuzzy penumbral shadow will strike. In the U.S., the farther northeast you are, the bigger the partial eclipse you’ll see. Maine gets the deepest eclipse in the contiguous U.S., with Presque Isle seeing about 28% of the sun covered at 1:50 p.m. EDT and Bangor seeing about 23% at 1:53 p.m. EDT. Meanwhile, Boston will see about 16% at 1:55 p.m. EDT, while New York City will see about 10% at 1:54 p.m. EDT. Alaska gets the biggest partial eclipse in the U.S. view, with Fairbanks seeing about 37% of the sun covered at 8:27 a.m. AKDT.