People across England will have a rare opportunity to view a dramatic partial solar eclipse on 12 August, when the Moon will block between 90% and 96% of the Sun—the greatest coverage seen since the total eclipse of 1999. The South West of England is expected to see the highest level of coverage in the country, while a full total eclipse will be visible further afield in parts of Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain. Numerous events are being held nationwide to mark the occasion, alongside guidance on how to watch safely.

The eclipse will last around one hour and 50 minutes, running from approximately 18:20 to 20:10 BST, though exact timings will vary by location. Viewers are urged to avoid looking directly at the Sun or using ordinary sunglasses, and instead to use genuine eclipse glasses meeting the ISO 12312-2:2015(E) safety standard, or indirect methods such as pinhole viewers, projecting the Sun through a colander, or a homemade pinhole projector.