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A total solar eclipse is a stunning, and extremely rare, spectacle. When the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, it plunges parts of the planet into darkness and creates a spooky-looking halo in the sky.
Although solar eclipses happen every 18 months or so, they’re only visible from a specific location once every 366 to 400 years. So, for most of us, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Partial eclipses, on the other hand, are much more common. They’re when the moon covers most, but not all, of the sun.
Another solar eclipse is rolling around very soon. And it’ll be the most significant eclipse that the UK has seen in almost 30 years. Here’s everything you need to know
When is the 2026 solar eclipse?
It’ll occur on Wednesday, August 12 2026.
Will the UK get a full solar eclipse?
Unfortunately, we won’t witness the full solar eclipse from the UK. What we will be able to see is a deep partial eclipse whereby around 90 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon. That’s the most coverage seen from the UK and Ireland since the 1999 solar eclipse.
The further southwest you are, the more coverage of the sun there’ll be. Viewers in Cornwall will see roughly 95 percent and spectators in Pembrokeshire will see around 94 percent.
What time will the eclipse happen in the UK?
It’ll depend on what part of the UK you’re in. People in Edinburgh and Glasgow will be among the first to witness the partial eclipse and those down in Truro will be the last. Here’s when the eclipse maximum (when most of the sun is covered) will happen in each region, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich:
- Edinburgh and Glasgow: 7.05pm
- Manchester and Liverpool: 7.10pm
- Norwich: 7.11pm
- London, Bristol and Cardiff: 7.12pm
- Truro, Cornwall: 7.16pm
Best places to see the full eclipse
If you want to see the full eclipse, you’ll have to be in either Greenland, the western tip of Iceland or the north of Spain. Make sure not to look directly at the eclipse – find a pair of special eclipse glasses or make yourself a pinhole projector which will allow you to see the eclipse by projecting the sun’s light, and the chunk of it being blocked, onto another surface.
How often do solar eclipses happen?
Total solar eclipses are super rare – they tend to only occur once every 400 years at any given location. Partial solar eclipses are more common, typically occurring at an average of twice per year.
When will the UK get a full solar eclipse?
Not for a long, long time. The British Isles won’t witness a full solar eclipse until September 23 in the year 2090.
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