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Visit the greatest show on Earth this month as the sun is eclipsed by the moon
This year there will be a solar eclipse on 12 August (2026). The total eclipse will be visible over the Arctic ocean and in parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, Mallorca and northeast Portugal.
The UK will experience a deep partial eclipse obscuring up to 95% of the Sun in the early evening with exact timings and degrees of obscuration depending on location. Cornwall and the far southwest will see the highest coverage; the best spot to view it from will be the tops of hills, coastal high points or anywhere with an ‘open’ view.
Because the solar eclipse will occur near lunar perigree, when the Moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, the Moon will appear slightly larger than usual and it will be a relatively long solar eclipse, lasting over two minutes in some places.
The eclipse reaches its peak between 7 and 7.16pm. It’s worth stopping to look up as the sun goes down that day, too, as the Perseid meteor shower peaks just hours after the partial eclipse. If you can manage to spend the night in one of the UK’s dark skies reserves or anywhere away from the light pollution of towns or cities, you’ll see the meteor shower at its best.
Remember never to look at the sun directly during an eclipse and definitely don’t use binoculars or a telescope unless you’re a professional with the correct equipment. The best way to view an eclipse is by using proprietary eclipse glasses which you can purchase online. If you prefer the ‘Blue Peter’ approach, you can make a pin hole viewer to see the eclipse ‘reflected’ onto a piece of card or even use a colander* for a similar effect. You can find instructions for both these methods online.
*Unlikely as it seems, holding up a colander is a tried-and-tested way of indirectly viewing an eclipse – even NASA suggests it as a safe method. Facing away from the Sun with your colander in one hand and a piece of white card in the other (you can also lay the card on the ground), find the best angle so that sunlight shines through the holes, projecting dozens of tiny crescents as the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun.
Read more about the August eclipse in our feature The Darkening in our August issue, in shops now.
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