Partial solar eclipse to obscure up to 95% of sun across UK on 12 August

UK braced for deepest eclipse since 1999

On Wednesday, 12 August, a partial solar eclipse will obscure up to 95% of the sun across the UK, the most extensive coverage since the total eclipse of 11 August 1999. The event will last roughly two hours, with the moon beginning to cross the sun between 18:01 and 18:10 BST and ending just before 20:00 in most areas. Parts of Spain and Portugal will experience a total eclipse, while Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain also fall in the path of totality. The next total solar eclipse visible in the British Isles is set for 23 September 2090, and astronomer Howard Parkin said another will not be visible in this part of the world until 2151.

Coverage will vary by location. Scotland and south-west England are expected to see the highest UK coverage. The Isle of Man will reach about 93% at its peak, while London will see 90% and Berlin 85%. Dublin will reach 94% and Paris 92%. In Scotland, coverage will range from about 88% to 90% depending on the area, with the Western Isles and western Scotland expected to get the greatest coverage, though southern and eastern Scotland may benefit from clearer skies.

Timing across the regions

The eclipse will begin shortly after 18:10 BST on the Isle of Man, reaching its peak at about 19:09 before ending shortly after 20:00. In Devon and Cornwall, the partial eclipse will start at about 18:18, peak at 19:15 and finish at about 20:09. In Guernsey and Jersey, timings will be approximately 18:21, 19:17 and 20:10. In Scotland, the peak will occur about an hour after the eclipse begins. The sun will set in Scotland after approximately 21:00, well after the eclipse concludes.

Safety warnings and community events

Astronomers and health officials have stressed safe viewing. Eclipse glasses must carry the ISO 12312-2 safety certification, and regular sunglasses do not provide adequate protection. Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, warned that looking at the sun, even through cloud, can damage the retina.

Even if you don't feel like it is painful to look at the Sun, it is still really damaging to the retina.

She described the event as a "two-hour extravaganza" and cautioned against repeated viewing. Following the 1999 total solar eclipse, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists reported about 70 cases of people experiencing vision problems, with about 40% of those having looked at the sun for less than a minute.

Community events are planned across the UK. Kielder Observatory is expecting thousands at its free event at the Glasshouse in Gateshead, with director of astronomy Dan Pye calling it "really significant". Gatherings are also planned at Kendal Castle, Merryoaks Community Hall in Durham, and multiple locations across Scotland, including Beirhope Farm in the Scottish Borders, Dirleton in East Lothian, Edinburgh's Playfair Observatory on Calton Hill, and Whitelee Windfarm Visitor Centre in Eaglesham.

Memories of 1999

The upcoming eclipse has prompted recollections of the 11 August 1999 total eclipse, the last of the 20th century, when Cornwall and the Channel Islands were the only parts of the British Isles to witness totality. Barbara Logan, who watched from Shortlanesend near Truro, described a "weird sensation" as birds began to roost. Anne Le Cheminant recalled hundreds lining the seafront in St Peter Port, Guernsey. Former BBC correspondent Simon Hall reported from Alderney, where more than 250 astronomers gathered with islanders despite cloud cover.