A partial solar eclipse will pass over the South West of England and the Channel Islands on the evening of 12 August 2026, with the Moon covering as much as 95% of the Sun at its peak. The spectacle is expected to run for roughly one hour and 50 minutes, beginning at about 18:20 BST and concluding by around 20:10 BST.
A solar eclipse happens when the Sun, Moon and Earth line up so precisely that the Moon's shadow falls across part of the Earth's surface. Depending on the alignment, the Moon casts two distinct types of shadow, producing either a total or partial eclipse depending on where an observer is standing.
Where will the eclipse be visible?
The path of totality — the narrow band where the Sun is completely blotted out — will sweep from northern Russia across Greenland, Iceland, Spain and northern Portugal, according to specialists at the National Space Centre. The UK sits outside that path, but observers here will still witness a significant portion of the Sun disappear behind the Moon.
The National Space Centre team said that although the route of totality bypasses Britain, viewers can still expect to see more than 90% of the Sun obscured. That assessment is broadly supported by figures from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, which estimates London will see around 90% coverage, Cornwall about 95%, and Pembrokeshire roughly 94%, while the southwest of Ireland could see nearly 97.5% of the Sun covered. According to NASA, the partial phase will also be visible across mainland Europe and Africa that evening, even though full totality is confined to Greenland, Iceland, northwestern Africa, northern Russia, Spain and a small section of Portugal.
Our earlier coverage detailed how the West Country is set for its biggest eclipse since 1999, with Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly expected to offer some of the best vantage points in the country. A separate report also examined how Yorkshire is bracing for its most striking eclipse in nearly three decades, with up to 92% coverage expected there. A broader guide on the best places and times to watch the 2026 eclipse across the UK outlines viewing conditions nationwide.
The next total solar eclipse visible from the UK will not occur until 23 September 2090, some 64 years from now.
How will nature respond during the eclipse?
Wildlife and plant life are expected to react as daylight fades and temperatures dip slightly during the peak of the eclipse. Dr Jean Dean, a Guernsey-based fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, explained that the changes unfold gradually from the very first moment the Moon begins crossing the Sun.
"First contact is when the edge of the moon touches the edge of the sun and after first contact, you will very quickly see the moon start to bite the sun."
"A little while after this, you should start to notice a slight change in temperature and the sky starting to darken."
"As the maximum approaches, nature will begin to respond. Birds will fall silent and nyctinastic plants (plants that open their leaves during the day and close them at night) such as clovers, dandelions and daises will close."
"Nature will then return to normal, the sky will lighten and the temperature will rise slightly."
Dr Dean has separately noted that this event is a rare opportunity for the island, given that the next total eclipse visible from Guernsey is not due until 2081.
What will observers on the ground experience?
Chris Cooke, chairman of the Plymouth Astronomical Society, said the darkness brought on by the eclipse would feel unsettling even without full totality.
"I've been chasing eclipses as long as I can really, as much as my wife would allow me to do."
"All my holidays are eclipse chasing holidays."
"So what's coming up in August is not a total eclipse from the UK, it's a partial, but this partial is where the the moon will block out the sun almost fully, but not quite."
"It's the darkest partial solar eclipse since 1999 and things will get a bit eerie."
How can people watch safely?
Health officials have repeated warnings that looking directly at the Sun during any stage of a partial eclipse carries serious risk to eyesight. According to NASA, it is never safe to view the partial phase of an eclipse without proper eye protection, since the Sun is never fully blocked outside the narrow path of totality.
Following the total eclipse of 1999, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists recorded around 70 cases of people suffering vision problems after watching the event, and found that roughly 40% of those affected had looked at the Sun for less than a minute. The UK Health Security Agency has issued a fresh warning ahead of this year's eclipse, cautioning that the Sun will appear dimmer than usual during the event, which can tempt people into looking at it directly and risking lasting eye damage.
The agency is advising the public to use certified eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers, provided they are genuine products, rather than makeshift alternatives. It also suggested indirect viewing methods such as pinhole viewers, projecting the Sun's image through a colander or through gaps between tree leaves, or building a simple pinhole projector using a sheet of paper.
What happens after 12 August?
Once the eclipse passes over the UK, timing data compiled by Timeanddate shows the national viewing window will run from 5:59pm BST to 8:10pm BST, before the Moon continues its path onward from northern Russia towards North America, Europe and Africa, as tracked by NASA's eclipse page. Beyond this event, skywatchers in Britain will have to wait until 23 September 2090 for the country's next full solar eclipse.
Key Facts
- The partial eclipse over the South West and Channel Islands runs from about 18:20 BST to 20:10 BST on 12 August 2026.
- Up to 95% of the Sun will be covered in Cornwall, with the Royal Observatory Greenwich estimating around 90% coverage for London.
- Totality will be visible only along a path stretching from northern Russia through Greenland, Iceland, Spain and northern Portugal.
- The Royal College of Ophthalmologists linked about 70 eyesight injury cases to the 1999 eclipse, with 40% occurring after less than a minute of unprotected viewing.
- The next total solar eclipse visible from the UK is not due until 23 September 2090.
