On 12 August 2026, a total eclipse will be visible from Europe for the first time this century. But you don't need to head to Antarctica to get a glimpse of the eclipse – as you can see a partial one in the UK.
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What is a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves directly between the sun and the Earth, completely covering the sun. Here, observers are within the darkest part of the moon's shadow. The last total solar eclipse in the UK was 1999.
Where will you be able to see the total solar eclipse?
Its ‘path of totality’ – from where the sun is fully obscured – is about 100 miles wide. The total eclipse will be visible from much of northern Spain, as well as Iceland and Greenland. The west of Iceland will experience the longest period of darkness – up to two minutes and 14 seconds.
“The totality is one of the most spectacular things you will ever see – it is like witnessing the birth of a god in the sky,” says astronomer Tom Kerss.
Will you be able to see the total solar eclipse in the UK?
You won‘t be able to see the total solar eclipse in the UK as it‘s not in its ‘path of totality‘. However, the west of Cornwall will experience the biggest partial solar eclipse, presenting as an incredible ‘crescent Sun’.
But Kerss warns that the difference between a total and a partial eclipse is immense: “like night and day”. The next time the UK will see a total solar eclipse is in September 2090.
It’s important to note that you should never look directly at the sun without appropriate filters. You can buy specific solar eclipse glasses to view the spectacle. Royal Museums Greenwich have also shared instructions on how to make a pinhole projector.
Top image: the moon eclipses the sun during a total solar eclipse across North America, in Bloomington, Indiana, on 8 April 2024. Credit: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty
