06/08/2026
On the evening of Wednesday 12 August 2026 a partial solar eclipse will be visible across the UK.
For London and the south of England we will see 90% coverage between 6:15pm (first contact) and 8:06pm (end of eclipse) with most of the sun covered at around 7:12pm. This is as close to a total eclipse we have seen in 27 years and won’t see again until 23rd September 2090 with a 99% eclipse on the 3rd September 2081!
It's a rare and exciting event that many people will be keen to watch. But looking directly at the Sun without the right protection can cause permanent painless damage to your eyesight. Cloud cover doesn't make it safe, and ordinary sunglasses offer no protection.
There are ways to watch the eclipse safely:
1. Use eclipse glasses – These block out the Sun’s harmful rays and enable you to look at the eclipse safely with your own eyes. Please note that regular sunglasses are not safe to use, as they don’t have adequate UV protection to protect your eyesight. To ensure your eclipse glasses are legitimate, make sure that they have safety certification ‘ISO 12312-2' or ‘ISO 12312-2:2015’ printed somewhere on the glasses. Be careful if you’re planning on reusing an old pair of eclipse glasses: these may not be safe, especially if the lenses are creased or scratched, as their filtering properties may have been compromised. Don’t take risks – buy yourself a fresh pair.
2. Use a solar telescope – Your telescope must have a solar filter. Please note that regular telescopes without a solar filter should never be used to look at the Sun.
3. Make a pinhole projector –Take two pieces of paper: make a small hole in one piece of paper and hold it above another piece of paper to see the shadow being cast on the Sun replicated in miniature.
You can also watch a live stream for free hosted by the Royal Observatory Greenwich coverage starts at 6:10pm on the 12th August 2026 visit: https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/online/solar-eclipse-august-2026-uk-live-stream
