UK sees biggest solar eclipse since 1999 with 95% sun obscured

Up to 95% of the sun will be hidden over Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly on August 12, 2026, while Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire will see roughly 90% coverage, in the most significant solar eclipse visible from Britain since August 1999.

The partial eclipse begins at 18:17 BST, peaks at 19:12 and ends at 20:06, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich. With the sun low in the west, an unobstructed horizon is essential. Simon Holbeche, chair of the Bath Astronomers, advises scouting locations ahead: at the start the sun sits about 25 degrees above the horizon, dropping to 15 degrees by the end.

While the path of totality arcs from northern Russia to Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Portugal, the UK will still witness a dramatic darkening, the National Space Centre said. Britain’s next total solar eclipse is not due until September 23, 2090.

Safety warnings accompany the excitement. The Royal Observatory Greenwich recommends ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses, solar telescopes or pinhole projectors. Sunglasses are not safe, and cameras, telescopes and binoculars demand proper solar filters, stressed Dr Stephen Price, chair of the Bristol Astronomical Society. For simple smartphone shots, landscape astrophotographer Josh Dury advises placing eclipse glasses over the lens; DSLR users should fit dedicated solar filters.

Several free public gatherings are planned. The Bristol Astronomical Society, We The Curious and Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge will host an event at the Downs Sea Walls Viewpoint in Clifton from 17:00 on August 12, with free certified glasses and solar telescopes. The Bath Astronomers and Astro Thoughts have already distributed more than 7,000 free glasses to young people. Other recommended vantage points include Exmoor National Park, Norman Lockyer Observatory and hills across the region.

Holbeche acknowledged the partial eclipse will not match the 1999 total eclipse, as safety glasses will be needed throughout. Still, he called it the best partial eclipse in the South West until 2090, worth venturing out if clouds part. For those stuck indoors, the Royal Observatory Greenwich will stream the event live.