Britain's most significant solar eclipse of the century will be visible across every corner of the nation on Wednesday 12 August, with over 90 per cent of the sun concealed by the moon at its peak from approximately 7pm. The maximum moment will sweep from Scotland's northernmost reaches down to Cornwall's Land's End in merely 15 minutes, meaning the lunar shadow will race across Britain's surface at nearly 2,500 miles per hour.
Find your exact viewing time by postcode
Use our postcode search facility to discover the precise moment when the moon will begin its journey across the sun from your own back garden - along with the exact time the eclipse will reach its maximum coverage in your area. By inputting your postcode into our interactive tool, you can ensure you're gazing skyward at precisely the right moment as it passes overhead.
Unlike certain regions of Spain, observers in the UK won't experience a total eclipse on this occasion, and astronomers are cautioning that staring directly at the sun remains hazardous even when more than 90 per cent of it is obscured from sight.
How to view the eclipse safely
Specialist solar eclipse spectacles or dedicated telescopes represent the only safe methods to view the eclipse directly, alternatively the eclipse can be observed using a pinhole projection technique or everyday household objects such as a colander with multiple perforations. The Royal Greenwich Observatory has cautioned the public that ordinary sunglasses provide insufficient protection for viewing the celestial spectacle.
Imo Bell, a planetarium astronomer at the observatory, previously told the Press Association: "It's not a total eclipse, but over 90% is really exciting. We're not going to get one this good for a really long time.
"So, it's important not to miss it, and to be prepared. You can't just go out and expect to have a look because it's really dangerous for your eyes.
"So, you can use solar eclipse glasses, which are very, very different from sunglasses – they block out so much light that you can't see anything through them except the sun, because that's how much light they need to block for the damaging light of the sun to be safe to view.
"Ideally a solar telescope is an amazing way to witness it, and if you don't have one of them then you can look into whether your local astronomy society is doing any events.
"And if all else fails, you can project the image of the eclipse using a household item like a colander which has lots of holes in – point the colander towards the Sun with your back facing it, and in the shadow of the colander you'll be able to see the eclipse in the holes, which is really cool."
Weather forecast and regional coverage
The most recent Met Office predictions indicate that the majority of England and Wales will enjoy clear skies on Wednesday evening, on what is expected to be a scorching day with temperatures exceeding 30C across much of the nation. Nevertheless, cloud is anticipated over much of Scotland and Northern Ireland, along with sections of the North East of England and Cumbria. Subject to how dense the cloud becomes, the eclipse may still be observable in these regions.
The prime spots for viewing the eclipse are in the far south western reaches of Devon and Cornwall, where the moon will block up to 96% of the sun. The remainder of Wales, Northern Ireland, sections of the West Midlands and the South West, and the westernmost stretches of Scotland can anticipate seeing between 92% and 94% solar coverage. In Cardiff, the moon is predicted to obscure 93.24% of the sun at 7.13pm while in Belfast it will cover 93.09% of the sun at 7.08pm.
Locations in the East of the country, encompassing the coastlines of Norfolk, Yorkshire and Aberdeenshire, will witness a marginally less dramatic eclipse - though these areas will still see just over 90 per cent of the sun obscured. Wednesday's solar eclipse is set to be the most spectacular visible from Britain for the next 54 years, with such overwhelming interest that High Street shops and online sellers have completely run out of eclipse glasses.
The next occasion when the moon will obscure such a significant portion of the sun won't occur until 2081, while the next total solar eclipse visible from the UK is expected in 2090. Ms Bell advised getting to a vantage point facing west, with minimal buildings around, as the best way to view the eclipse.
"We might notice the sky getting a little bit dark, so if you're looking safely, it'll look a bit like the moon is taking a bite out of the sun, you'll see something that looks a bit like a crescent sun."
