The UK's biggest solar eclipse this century will be visible from every part of the UK on Wednesday, with more than 90 per cent of the sun obscured by the moon at the height of the event from around 7pm. The peak moment will sweep from the very north of Scotland down to Land's End in Cornwall in just 15 minutes, meaning the moon's shadow will travel at nearly 2,500 miles per hour.
By entering a postcode into an interactive tool, skygazers can find the exact moment the moon starts to move in front of the sun from their viewpoint, as well as the time the eclipse reaches its peak in their area.
Eclipse visibility and safety warnings
Unlike parts of Spain, the UK will not experience a total eclipse this time. Astronomers warn that it is dangerous to look directly at the sun even when over 90 per cent of it is hidden. Solar eclipse glasses or specialist telescopes are the only safe ways to view the eclipse directly, or it can be projected using a pinhole or household items like a colander.
Wednesday's solar eclipse will be the best in the country for the next 54 years. Interest has been so great that High Street stores and online retailers have sold out of eclipse glasses.
Forecast and regional coverage
The latest Met Office forecast shows most of England and Wales will have clear skies on Wednesday evening, with temperatures likely to exceed 30C in large parts of the country. However, cloud cover is forecast for most of Scotland and Northern Ireland, plus parts of the North East of England and Cumbria. Depending on cloud thickness, the eclipse may still be visible in these areas.
The best locations to view the eclipse are in the far south western areas of Devon and Cornwall, where up to 96 per cent of the sun will be obscured. The rest of Wales, Northern Ireland, parts of the West Midlands and the South West, and the westernmost parts of Scotland can expect 92 to 94 per cent solar coverage. In Cardiff, the moon is forecast to obscure 93.24 per cent of the sun at 7.13pm, while in Belfast it will cover 93.09 per cent at 7.08pm. Areas in the East, including the coasts of Norfolk, Yorkshire and Aberdeenshire, will see just over 90 per cent obscured.
Expert advice and future eclipses
The Royal Greenwich Observatory warned that regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the phenomenon. Imo Bell, a planetarium astronomer at the observatory, 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."
Bell added: "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."
The next time the moon obscures as much of the sun will be in 2081, and the next total solar eclipse in the UK will be in 2090. 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."
