Overview
- The partial eclipse will occur on Wednesday, August 12, and will run roughly from early evening to about 8:06–8:10pm depending on location, with peak obscuration between about 7:02pm and 7:16pm in different parts of the UK.
- South‑west England and parts of Pembrokeshire will see the greatest coverage, with locations in Devon and Cornwall expected to experience about 94–96% of the Sun blocked at maximum.
- Health and astronomy bodies are issuing urgent warnings that looking at the Sun without ISO 12312‑2 certified viewers or an indirect projector can cause immediate and permanent retinal damage, and they caution against old, scratched or uncertified glasses.
- Retailers report heavy demand and local shortages of certified eclipse glasses, while Octopus Energy is offering customers enrolled in Octoplus and Savings Sessions rewards for reducing electricity use between 6pm and 8pm and running an eclipse‑themed competition.
- Science and broadcast plans include livestreams from the Royal Observatory, coordinated NASA/ESA aircraft and high‑altitude balloon observations, and guidance that viewers who cannot use certified filters should watch official live coverage or use pinhole/colander projection methods.