Eryri National Park in North Wales has been named one of the best places in the UK to witness the partial solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 12. Up to 96% of the Sun will be covered as the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth.
Eclipse visibility across the UK
The spectacular event will be visible across the whole of the UK, although those in the South West are likely to see the best eclipse. The best vantage points are anywhere with a clear view of the western horizon. It is vital that anyone planning to witness the spectacle does not look directly at the Sun at any point during the event.
Timing for the eclipse will vary across the country. In Manchester, it will begin at around 6.13pm and reach its maximum at 7.10pm, ending at 8.03pm. Dark sky areas with minimal light pollution and maximum visibility are generally considered the best places to see the eclipse.
Pitchup.com's top eclipse viewing spots
Camping website Pitchup.com has named the top places for the clearest view of the eclipse in the UK, and Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) made the list. To compile the list, Pitchup.com analysed the forecast average cloud cover across a 12-hour viewing window on August 12 to identify where skywatchers would have the clearest views. Eryri came 15th, with 78% cloud cover.
The national park is a designated dark sky reserve, making it a well-known spot for stargazing. However, dark skies don't necessarily mean the best conditions for eclipse viewing. Alongside cloud cover, good eclipse visibility depends on low haze and humidity, strong atmospheric visibility, minimal rain, and an open, unobstructed view of the sky.
Other North Wales location included
Another North Wales location also made the list: Bardsey Island off the Llyn Peninsula. The island is accessible via boat for a day trip, but there are a small number of self-catering cottages offering off-grid stays. Over in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks were included in 11th and 12th place respectively. The best place overall is Galloway Forest Park in Scotland.
Full list of best dark sky destinations
- Galloway Forest Park, Scotland
- West Penwith, England
- Moffat, Scotland
- Presteigne & Norton Dark Sky Community, Wales
- Bodmin Moor Dark Sky Landscape, England
- OM Dark Sky Park & Observatory, Northern Ireland
- Tomintoul and Glenlivet – Cairngorms, Scotland
- Ynys Enlli – Bardsey Island, Wales
- Gower National Landscape, Wales
- Moore’s Reserve, England
- Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
- North York Moors National Park, England
- Thorington Street, Suffolk, England
- Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Brecon Beacons), Wales
- Eryri National Park (Snowdonia), Wales
- North Ronaldsay Dark Sky Island, Scotland
- Elan Valley Estate, Wales
- Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water & Forest Park, England
- Cranborne Chase, England
- Exmoor National Park, England
- Coll, Scotland
- Isle of Rum, Scotland
