People on the Isle of Man are being told they are in one of the best spots in the British Isles to view Wednesday's partial solar eclipse, with the moon expected to cover around 93% of the sun at its peak. Although the island lies just outside the path of totality, astronomer Howard Parkin said it was "very well placed" to witness the event, describing eclipses as "nature at its absolute best" and noting that another total solar eclipse will not be visible in the region until 2151.

The eclipse begins shortly after 18:10 BST on Wednesday, peaks at around 19:09 with roughly 93% coverage, and ends shortly after 20:00, with dry, bright weather forecast for ideal viewing. Parkin said the sky would not go pitch black but would resemble dusk, and urged viewers to use proper solar eclipse eyewear, recommending west coast spots such as Peel or Niarbyl for the best view. Totality will be visible in places including Iceland, northern Spain, northern Portugal and parts of the Atlantic and North America, while Ireland's west coast will see an even greater partial eclipse of around 95-96%; Wednesday's event is the most significant seen from the island since the total eclipse of 1999.