Overview
- A total solar eclipse will cross parts of eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain while the UK will see a deep partial eclipse on Wednesday, 12 August 2026.
- Across the UK the partial eclipse will start in the early evening, peak around 7:13pm BST and finish by about 8:10pm BST with the greatest obscuration in south‑west England.
- Officials warn never to look at the Sun without ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses and say safe indirect methods such as pinhole projectors, colanders or leaf‑gap projections can be used if glasses are unavailable.
- Suppliers and experts are urging early purchase because past events saw shortages and counterfeit viewers, and buyers are advised to check for the ISO 12312-2 mark and undamaged lenses.
- The eclipse will be followed overnight by the Perseid meteor shower peak, offering a rare double viewing opportunity, and the next total solar eclipse visible from the UK is not expected until 2090.