By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER
Published: 08:34 BST, 8 August 2026 | Updated: 08:36 BST, 8 August 2026
On Wednesday, August 12, the UK will be treated to the most spectacular solar eclipse in a generation – and you will not want to miss it.
Although Britain won't witness totality, up to 96 per cent of the sun will be obscured as the moon drifts in front of its celestial neighbour.
The next time an eclipse this deep will be visible from the UK won't be until 2050.
Meanwhile, any keen astronomers wanting to see a total eclipse from Britain will need to wait until September 23, 2090.
This stunning display will begin shortly after 18:00 BST, but the exact timing will vary based on your location.
Maximum coverage will occur roughly an hour later, plunging the UK into premature twilight, before the eclipse comes to an end just after 20:00 BST.
However, since you can't look at the sun directly without risking severe eye damage, you'll need to come prepared to get the best view.
Here is everything you need to know to make the most of this rare opportunity.
On Wednesday, August 12, the UK will be treated to the most spectacular solar eclipse in a generation
First contact – the moment the moon's shadow will first appear on the sun – will kick off at 18:06 in Glasgow and Edinburgh, 18:13 in Manchester and Liverpool, 18:15 in Birmingham, 18:17 in London, Bristol and Cardiff, and finally at 18:18 in Cornwall.
Viewers, taking the appropriate safety precautions, will see a small 'bite' disappear from the sun's right–hand corner before slowly spreading to cover most of the disc.
At the point of greatest coverage, observers will see only a tiny inverted crescent of fire hanging in the sky.
That will happen just under an hour later, at 19:05 in Glasgow and Edinburgh, 19:10 in Manchester and Liverpool, 19:11 in Birmingham, 19:12 in London, Bristol and Cardiff, and at 19:16 in Cornwall.