Tomorrow evening, Wednesday 12th August, the skies over the UK will give us something a little different to look forward to.
From shortly after 6pm, the Moon will begin to move slowly across the face of the Sun, creating the most impressive solar eclipse visible from the UK in almost 30 years.
Although this is a total solar eclipse elsewhere in the world, the UK lies outside the path of totality. Instead, we will see a deep partial eclipse, with around 90 to 96 per cent of the Sun covered across much of the country at its peak.
That still leaves us with a remarkable evening ahead.
The eclipse begins at slightly different times depending on where you are. In London, the Moon will first begin to cover the Sun at around 6.17pm, with the eclipse reaching its maximum at approximately 7.13pm.
By then the Sun will already be sitting fairly low in the western sky, so finding the right place to watch will matter. An open coastline, a hilltop, a field or anywhere with a clear view towards the western horizon should give you the best chance.
As the Moon moves further across the Sun, the evening light will begin to feel different. It may become softer and slightly cooler, while shadows can take on sharper edges. Slowly, the familiar shape of the Sun will narrow until only a bright crescent remains visible.
It is one of those moments where the change happens gradually, and then suddenly everyone notices it.
For us, that is part of the fascination of looking upwards. The sky can feel completely familiar one evening and entirely different the next. An eclipse reminds us just how much is happening above us, even when we cannot normally see it.
Watching safely is essential. Even when almost all of the Sun is covered, the remaining light is still strong enough to damage your eyes. Ordinary sunglasses are not suitable. Proper certified eclipse glasses should be used whenever you look directly towards the Sun during the partial eclipse.
If you do not have eclipse glasses, you can still experience the event indirectly using a simple pinhole projector, which allows you to watch the changing shape of the Sun without looking directly at it.
As always in the UK, the weather will play its part. A completely clear sky would be ideal, but even broken clouds could offer short glimpses as the eclipse develops. With the Sun low in the evening sky, even a few clear moments could be enough to see it.
And tomorrow’s sky does not finish when the Sun sets.
The eclipse arrives just as the Perseid meteor shower is reaching its annual peak. During the night of 12 to 13 August, the Earth will be moving through a trail of debris left behind by Comet Swift Tuttle, creating one of the best known meteor showers of the year.
Once darkness falls, find somewhere away from bright lights, give your eyes time to adjust and look upwards. You do not need binoculars or a telescope to see the Perseids. A clear sky and a little patience are enough.
So tomorrow evening begins with the Sun and ends among the stars.
From a slowly disappearing evening Sun to meteors crossing the August sky, it is a rare reminder that sometimes the best thing we can do is find somewhere quiet, look upwards and see what appears.
