Britain is in a run of partial solar eclipses. On the evening of 12 August 2026 more than nine tenths of the Sun was covered across the whole country, for London and the south the deepest eclipse since 1999. On Monday 2 August 2027 a smaller partial eclipse follows in mid-morning, with 42% of the Sun covered in London at 10:00 a.m., and two more come in January 2028 and June 2030. A total eclipse on the British mainland is not due until 23 September 2090.

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August 2, 2027: partial solar eclipse

Local time. “Sun covered” is the share of the Sun's disc hidden at the best moment that is above the horizon.

January 26, 2028: partial solar eclipse

June 12, 2029: partial solar eclipse

June 1, 2030: partial solar eclipse

August 12, 2026: partial solar eclipse (past)

12 August 2026: 91% in London, Low in the West

The total eclipse that crossed Spain was a very deep partial eclipse seen from the British Isles. It began at about 6:15 p.m., and at 7:13 p.m. the Moon covered 91% of the Sun over London, 93% over Cardiff and Belfast and 96% at Penzance, the largest figure on the mainland. Edinburgh reached 91% at 7:05 p.m. The Sun was only ten to fifteen degrees above the western horizon, so buildings and trees mattered as much as cloud. With a crescent that thin the light turns flat and metallic and the air cools a little, but it does not get dark. That happens only inside the path of totality, which on this occasion passed over the sea to the south-west before reaching Spain.

2 August 2027: A Monday-Morning Partial Eclipse

The eclipse of 2 August 2027 is total along a line from the Strait of Gibraltar to Egypt, far to the south, so from Britain the Moon takes a smaller bite and takes it from the lower edge of the Sun. In London it starts at 9:03 a.m., peaks at 10:00 a.m. with 42% of the disc covered and ends at 10:59 a.m. The share falls with distance from the track: 47% at Penzance, 42% in Cardiff, 39% in Birmingham, 35% in Manchester, 32% in Belfast and 27% in Edinburgh. The Sun is about 40 degrees high in the east-south-east, well clear of rooftops. At this depth daylight does not change in any way you would notice, which means eye protection is needed for every second of it.

After 2027: A Sunset Eclipse in 2028 and a Dawn Eclipse in 2030

On 26 January 2028 an annular eclipse ends its track over Spain at sunset, and Britain sees the partial phase as the Sun goes down. It begins at about 3:35 p.m.; by the time the Sun sets in London roughly half of it is covered, 51%, and at Penzance 55%. The eclipse is still growing when the Sun disappears, so the view depends entirely on a clear south-western horizon. On 1 June 2030 the geometry is reversed: an annular eclipse over Greece and Turkey is partial here just after dawn, with 48% covered in London at 6:21 a.m. and 40% in Edinburgh at 6:29 a.m.

The Next Total Eclipse in the UK: 2090

Britain's last total eclipse was on 11 August 1999, when the shadow crossed Cornwall and south Devon, Penzance had 2 minutes 1 second of totality and London saw 97% of the Sun covered. The next one is on 23 September 2090. Its path clips the south-west of England late in the afternoon: 2 minutes 32 seconds at Penzance, 2 minutes 15 seconds at Newquay and 2 minutes 10 seconds at Plymouth, with the Sun only about six degrees above the horizon. Between those dates there is no total eclipse anywhere in the United Kingdom, which is why the Spanish eclipses of 2026 and 2027, a short flight away, matter so much to British eclipse watchers.

Frequently asked

What time is the solar eclipse on 2 August 2027 in the UK?

In London it begins at 9:03 a.m., reaches its maximum at 10:00 a.m. and ends at 10:59 a.m. British Summer Time. Other cities differ by a few minutes; Edinburgh's maximum is also at 10:00 a.m.

How much of the Sun will be covered in the UK in 2027?

Between about a quarter and a half: 27% in Edinburgh, 35% in Manchester, 42% in London and Cardiff and 47% at Penzance.

When is the next total solar eclipse in the UK?

On 23 September 2090, visible from Cornwall and Devon shortly before sunset. The last was on 11 August 1999.

Solar eclipses by country