Overview
- The partial eclipse will darken UK skies on Wednesday, August 12, with the event running roughly from 18:17 BST to 20:06 BST and maximum obscuration for many locations around 19:12–19:16, with southwest areas seeing up to about 96 percent coverage.
- The Met Office and local authorities recommend west‑facing coastal or elevated sites such as Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and selected Isle of Wight and Welsh viewpoints for the clearest low‑horizon views because the Sun will be near sunset.
- Health bodies including the UKHSA, NASA guidance cited by experts, and astronomy groups stress only viewers that meet the ISO 12312‑2 standard should be used, and they advise inspecting filters for scratches, tears or counterfeit labelling before use.
- The European Space Agency will livestream the eclipse from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre with multiple backup feeds to ensure public access and continuous science observations even if ground sites cloud over.
- Skywatchers can extend the night as the Perseid meteor shower peaks overnight on August 12–13, offering a second astronomy opportunity if local weather clears and observers find dark, unobstructed skies.