Overview
- A partial eclipse will darken UK skies on Wednesday, August 12, with first contact in most areas in the early evening and maximum coverage for London around 7:12pm local time.
- A narrow path of totality will cross Greenland, Iceland and parts of northern and eastern Spain while the UK will miss totality but see roughly 90–96 percent of the Sun blocked.
- Health bodies and observatories are urging people to use certified ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses or indirect projection methods because looking at the Sun without proper filters can cause permanent retinal damage.
- Coastal and elevated sites with an unobstructed western horizon — for example Cornwall, the Llŷn Peninsula and Galloway Forest Park — are recommended for best UK views but clear weather and horizon visibility remain the main uncertainties.
- The event is attracting scientific campaigns, livestreams and tourism to path areas and it coincides with the Perseid meteor shower peak later that night, which could offer additional skywatching if conditions allow.