Solar Eclipse 2026: Nearly Whole Sun Covered Over UK

A partial solar eclipse will take place on the evening of August 12, with the Moon passing between the Sun and Earth. From the UK, the Moon will obscure around 90 per cent of the Sun in many locations, making it the deepest solar eclipse visible from the country since 1999, when totality crossed parts of Cornwall and Devon.

In Greater Manchester, sky watchers are set to see the Moon cover about 91 per cent of the Sun's light, while Dublin could see 94 per cent. Across the UK, coverage ranges from 90 per cent in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Edinburgh to 93 per cent in Belfast and Cardiff. In Europe, visitors to the Balearic Islands, parts of mainland Spain including Bilbao, and the western strip of Iceland including Reykjavik will witness totality, when the Moon completely covers the Sun.

Timings from London

From London, the eclipse will begin at 6.17pm, when the Moon first makes contact with the Sun's disk. Maximum coverage – about 90 per cent – will come at 7.12pm, and the event will conclude at 8.06pm, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.

—

Wide Pickt banner — collaborative shopping lists app for Telegram, phone mockup with grocery list

A spokesman for Royal Museums Greenwich said: "The new Moon and the Sun will gradually move closer together in the sky in the late afternoon. As the side facing us will be dark, the Moon will be invisible without specialist equipment. At 6.17pm from London (timings vary slightly from other parts of the UK and Ireland), 'first contact' will occur, when the Moon first covers part of the disk of the Sun. The Moon will move slowly in front of the Sun until roughly 90 per cent of the Sun is covered (the eclipse's maximum). This will be at 7.12pm from London. At the maximum, enough of the Sun will be covered to make a noticeable difference in the temperature and light levels. However, unlike with a total eclipse, the sky will not become dark – it will feel more like a cloudy day or close to dusk or dawn." They added: "After the maximum, the Moon will then slowly move off the Sun's disk until the eclipse ends, at 8.06pm from London. Getting to a high point with a clear view of the western horizon will allow you to see the whole event."