The Met Office has named Devon and Cornwall as the top UK spots to watch the solar eclipse on Wednesday, with up to 96% of the sun expected to be obscured by the moon. The event, which runs from 6.17pm to 8.06pm, is the most significant solar eclipse in British skies since 1999.
Best locations for eclipse viewing
Devon, Cornwall and the furthest western parts of Pembrokeshire in Wales are set to experience the eclipse at its most dramatic, with between 94% and 96% of the sun masked by the moon. Plymouth in particular is forecast to see the moon obscuring 94.66% of the sun at 7.16pm, according to Met Office data.
The rest of Wales, Northern Ireland, parts of the West Midlands and South West, along with Scotland's most westerly regions can expect to observe 92% to 94% solar coverage. In Cardiff, the moon is anticipated to conceal 93.24% of the sun at 7.13pm, while in Belfast it will block 93.09% at 7.08pm.
Coverage across the UK
Across the UK, stargazers are likely to see the moon obscuring between 90% and 92% of the sun. Birmingham expects 91.79% coverage at 7.12pm, London 91.41% at 7.13pm, Inverness 90.74% at 7.03pm, Edinburgh 90.71% at 7.06pm and Newcastle 90.22% at 7.07pm.
Those keen to witness the most complete solar eclipse should avoid the easternmost parts of the UK, where only 88% to 90% of the sun is predicted to be covered. These areas include the coastlines of Norfolk, Yorkshire and Aberdeenshire, as well as the Orkney and Shetland Islands.
Safety warnings and expert advice
The Royal Greenwich Observatory has warned that regular sunglasses do not offer enough protection to safely watch the eclipse. 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 stressed the importance of using proper solar eclipse glasses, which are very different from sunglasses, or a solar telescope. She also suggested projecting the image of the eclipse using a household item like a colander: "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 will obscure as much of the sun will be in 2081, and the following total solar eclipse in the UK will take place in 2090. Bell suggested finding a viewpoint facing west, with as few buildings as possible, for the best experience. Reykjavik in Iceland and Spanish cities A Coruna, Oviedo, Zaragoza, Bilbao and Valencia will experience a total eclipse on Wednesday.
