Overview
- The eclipse will occur on Wednesday 12 August 2026 and will block roughly 90–96% of the Sun across much of the UK with totality visible only along a narrow path in Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain.
- Local timings published for the UK show first contact in major Scottish cities at about 6:08pm, a Scottish peak near 7:05pm and regional peaks in Wales around 7:10–7:12pm with the event ending shortly after 8pm.
- Medical and astronomy authorities including the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the Royal Observatory Greenwich say ordinary sunglasses do not protect eyes and recommend ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses or indirect projection methods.
- Because the Sun will sit low toward the west‑northwest, viewers are urged to choose open coastal or elevated sites with clear western horizons such as the Llŷn Peninsula or Gower to avoid buildings and trees blocking the view.
- The eclipse coincides with the Perseid meteor peak and several scientific and broadcast campaigns, which will increase demand for certified viewers and drive use of livestreams if weather or supply problems prevent safe in‑person viewing.