The UK partial solar eclipse on August 12 is one of the most dramatic sky events in decades, but if you miss it, the next partial eclipse visible from Britain is on August 2, 2027. A total solar eclipse from the UK won't occur until September 23, 2090.
Next Partial Eclipse in 2027
The next solar eclipse observable from the UK will occur on August 2, 2027, reports the Express. Similar to Wednesday's occurrence, the 2027 eclipse will be total in certain regions of the world but will only appear as a partial solar eclipse from the UK.
The partial eclipse will commence somewhere in the UK at 8.57am BST and conclude at 11.01am, though the precise timings and the proportion of the Sun covered will vary depending on your viewing position.
London and Regional Coverage
In London, the eclipse is anticipated to start at 9.03am, peak at 10am and finish at 10.59am. Time and date forecasts that 41.91% of the Sun will be obscured in London, while the Royal Observatory Greenwich estimates the figure at around 45%.
The degree of coverage will differ across the country. Timeanddate predicts 44.23% obscuration in Southampton, 42.30% in Bristol, 42.23% in Cardiff, 38.65% in Birmingham, 35.55% in Liverpool and 27.64% in Glasgow.
Global Totality and UK Partial View
On a global scale, the event on August 2, 2027, will be a total solar eclipse, with the path of totality crossing parts of Spain, North Africa and the Middle East.
The last occasion the path of a total solar eclipse crossed the UK was on August 11, 1999. Cornwall was the sole region in the UK to witness totality, drawing massive crowds to the county hoping to catch a glimpse of the extraordinary phenomenon. Nevertheless, clouds created dreadful visibility throughout much of Western Europe, leaving many who had assembled to observe the event feeling disappointed. In other parts of Britain, stargazers witnessed a partial eclipse instead of totality.
Total Eclipse Wait Until 2090
Those hoping to witness a total solar eclipse from the UK face a significantly longer wait. The next total solar eclipse observable from Britain isn't anticipated until September 23, 2090.
Wednesday's eclipse arrives 27 years following that landmark occasion and will rank among the most remarkable eclipses visible from Britain in recent decades. Yet despite the Moon blocking the overwhelming majority of the Sun in certain locations, totality will stay beyond the grasp of UK observers. For that experience, Britons must wait until September 23, 2090, when the trajectory of a total solar eclipse is finally anticipated to traverse the nation once more.
