CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO SAFELY OBSERVE THIS UNIQUE SOLAR EVENT

There are very few times in life when we have the opportunity to share an unforgettable moment with friends and family.

The experience of viewing a solar eclipse is described by witnesses as “life-changing” and I can assure you, from personal experience that it is unforgettable.

From the summit of a china clay tip in the middle of Cornwall, my family were gathered to witness the total eclipse of the sun on August 11, 1999 and the event has left us with an indelible memory.

A solar eclipse is one of the most spectacular displays in nature, providing a life-changing, ethereal experience that many people never get to witness.

On Wednesday 12 August 2026, people in the UK and Ireland will see a partial solar eclipse, when around 90% of the Sun will be covered by the Moon.

The new Moon and the Sun will gradually move closer together in the sky in the late afternoon. As the side facing us will be dark, the Moon will be invisible without specialist equipment.

At 6.17pm from London (timings vary slightly from other parts of the UK and Ireland), ‘first contact’ will occur, when the Moon first covers part of the disk of the Sun.

The Moon will move slowly in front of the Sun until roughly 90% of the Sun is covered (the eclipse’s maximum). This will be at 7.12pm from London.