More than 90 per cent of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon between 6.17pm and 8.06pm on Wednesday, August 12, in the UK's fullest solar eclipse for the next half-century. Millions across Europe and the UK are expected to watch the Sun, the Moon and the Earth align.
Peak coverage and visibility
The maximum point of coverage is expected at around 7.13pm. This is the most the Sun has been blocked above UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999, and the next time the Moon obscures as much of the Sun will be in 2081. The next total solar eclipse in the UK will be in 2090.
A partial eclipse will be visible from much of Europe, parts of Africa, North America, and the Atlantic, Arctic Ocean and Pacific oceans. A total eclipse will be experienced across northern Spain, eastern Greenland, western Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean and the north-east corner of Portugal.
Best UK viewing spots
The Royal Observatory Greenwich says viewers in London will see roughly 90 per cent of the Sun covered by the Moon. The south-west of the UK will see the greatest eclipse coverage, with Cornwall set to experience around 95 per cent coverage, and Pembrokeshire in south-west Wales will see around 94 per cent.
Northern Ireland, parts of the West Midlands, the South West, the rest of Wales and parts of western Scotland are expected to get between 92 and 94 per cent coverage. Those able to travel to the south-west of Ireland will see some of the highest coverage anywhere in the British Isles, where almost 97.5 per cent of the Sun will be covered by the Moon. The exact timings of the eclipse will vary depending on your location, but other factors such as your elevation should also be considered.
Safety and viewing methods
Solar radiation can severely damage your retinas. The Sun may appear less bright than usual during an eclipse, but it is not safe to look at it with the naked eye. Harmful radiation can still reach your eyes and cause damage, often without any immediate discomfort or warning signs. Regular sunglasses are not dark enough to block harmful solar radiation.
The UKHSA recommends two safe ways to view a solar eclipse: using specialist eclipse viewers or using indirect viewing methods. Genuine eclipse glasses must be fitted with specially designed filters that meet the international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E). They are available from reputable retailers, including Royal Museums Greenwich. Eclipse glasses should never be used if the lenses are scratched, torn or damaged.
Another safe method is using a simple pinhole projector. This can be done by making a small hole in a piece of card, then projecting an image of the Sun onto a wall or a second piece of paper, allowing you to watch the eclipse safely without looking directly at the Sun.
After the eclipse: Perseid meteor shower
The Perseid meteor shower is expected after the eclipse, reaching its peak tonight and continuing overnight into Thursday. The shower is produced as Earth ploughs through a stream of dust left behind by Comet Swift–Tuttle. The Perseids, active this year between July 17 and August 24, are widely regarded as one of the year's best meteor showers because they produce large numbers of bright, fast-moving streaks of light.
The Perseids can produce between 50 to 100 visible meteors every hour during their peak if conditions are favourable, according to NASA. The best time to see the event is between midnight and 5.30am on Thursday, but some meteors will be visible as soon as the Sun sets today, with no special equipment required.
