Solar eclipse

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun and casts its shadow on the Earth. It can only happen at new moon. Stand inside the umbra and the Sun is covered completely, turning day into twilight — that is a total solar eclipse. Stand to the side, in the penumbra, and you see a partial solar eclipse, with the Moon taking a bite out of the solar disc. Above you can see the next solar eclipse with times for a range of cities.

The solar eclipse of 2 August 2027

The next solar eclipse visible from the UK is on 2 August 2027. It is total across North Africa and the Middle East, where totality lasts a little over six and a half minutes — only one eclipse this century runs longer. From the UK it is a partial eclipse in the middle of the morning, covering about 42% of the Sun in London and Cardiff, 32% in Belfast and 27% in Edinburgh: the further south and west you are, the more you get. In London it begins at 09:03, reaches maximum at 10:00 and ends at 10:59.

Unlike the eclipse the year before, the Sun stands high in the sky this time — 36 to 40° up at maximum. That means the view towards the horizon does not matter: trees, buildings and hills are not in the way, and a back garden works as well as a hilltop. It also means there is no low Sun to dim the light, and with two fifths of the disc covered nothing whatsoever is visible to the naked eye. Eclipse glasses are not a recommendation here; they are the only way to see it at all.

The eclipse of August 2026

On 12 August 2026 a total solar eclipse swept across Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain. From the UK it was seen as a very deep partial eclipse, with 91-93% of the solar disc covered — the deepest seen from England and Wales since the total eclipse of August 1999, though Scotland and Northern Ireland had seen fractionally more in March 2015. What made it unusual was the timing: it fell in the evening with the Sun low in the west, so a clear view towards the west-north-west decided how much of it you saw. To follow the Sun on the day of the next one, look up the sunset time for your location.

Never look directly at the Sun

A solar eclipse is dangerous to look at without protection. Even when only a thin sliver of the Sun remains, the light is bright enough to burn the retina, and because the retina has no pain receptors you feel nothing while the damage is done. Sunglasses, exposed film, CDs, smoked glass and tinted plastic are not safe. Use only eclipse glasses certified to the standard EN ISO 12312-2, and throw them away if they are scratched or punctured. If you use binoculars, a telescope or a camera, the filter must go in front of the lens — never behind it — and eclipse glasses alone are never enough. The safest method is indirect: make a small hole in a piece of card and let the Sun project its own image onto a surface behind it.

The three kinds of solar eclipse

• Total solar eclipse – the Moon covers the whole solar disc and the corona becomes visible. This only happens inside a narrow track a few hundred kilometres wide.
• Annular solar eclipse – the Moon is near the far point of its orbit and appears too small to cover the Sun completely, leaving a bright ring of light.
• Partial solar eclipse – the observer is outside the umbra and the Moon covers only part of the Sun. This is how the great majority of solar eclipses are experienced from the UK.

Why isn't there a solar eclipse every new moon?

The Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun every single month at new moon, and yet there are only two to five solar eclipses a year. The reason is that the Moon's orbit is tilted by about 5° relative to the Earth's orbit around the Sun, so the Moon's shadow usually misses above or below the Earth. It takes a new moon close to one of the two points where the orbits cross before the shadow actually lands. The same is true of lunar eclipses, which occur in the same eclipse seasons, roughly every six months.

Meteors the same week

The 2027 eclipse falls at the start of August, when the Perseids — the most reliable meteor shower of the year — are building. The shower peaks around 12 and 13 August, so rates on the 2nd are modest compared with ten days later, but the sky is already active. Check the moon's phases to see how much moonlight will interfere on the night you pick.

Frequently asked questions about solar eclipses

What is a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun and casts its shadow on the Earth. It can only happen at new moon.

Is it dangerous to look at a solar eclipse?

Yes. Even when only a thin sliver of the Sun remains, the light is bright enough to burn the retina, and you feel nothing while the damage is done. Use only eclipse glasses certified to the standard EN ISO 12312-2.

Can you see a total solar eclipse from the UK?

Only very rarely. Solar eclipses are normally seen from the UK as partial, with the Moon covering only part of the solar disc. A total eclipse requires standing inside the umbra, a narrow track a few hundred kilometres wide.

Why isn't there a solar eclipse every new moon?

The Moon's orbit is tilted by about 5° relative to the Earth's orbit around the Sun, so the Moon's shadow usually misses above or below the Earth. It takes a new moon close to one of the two points where the orbits cross before the shadow actually lands.