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Next week, skies in some parts of the world will darken even as the sun shines.
Temperatures will drop, birds will quieten and next to what was once the bright sun will be the twinkle of planets and stars.
A total solar eclipse will happen on Wednesday (August 12).
While the UK won’t see a complete one – it’ll be a partial solar eclipse – it will still be one of the deepest for a long, long time.
The next time the moon obscures this much of the sun will be in 2081 and the next total solar eclipse in the UK will be in 2090.
Here’s everything you need to know about this rare celestial dance.
Where can I see the solar eclipse?
It might seem to be happening slowly, but the moon’s shadow is racing across the Earth as fast as 3,000mph, according to eclipse calculators.
So how much of the solar eclipse you’ll see will depend on where you live, with the path of totality being 5,100 miles from the top of the Earth to the Mediterranean.
‘To see a total eclipse you will need to head to northern Spain, or get on a boat and head out into the Atlantic!’ says Dr Megan Argo, a reader in astrophysics at the University of Lancashire.
What is a solar eclipse?
By some cosmic fluke, the moon and the sun appear the same size in Earth’s sky.
So now and then, the moon obscures the sun and casts a long shadow across Earth.
When the moon blots out the sun, this is called totality. Wispy light will leak out of the moon as the corona, the halo of hot gas that surrounds the sun, continues to shine.
Sometimes, you’ll see a reddish-pink circle around the edge of the moon. This is the sun’s hydrogen-filled chromosphere, a layer below the corona.
Totality will be brief – only about two minutes or so, according to Nasa, depending on where you are – before the moon and sun part ways.
After that, the sun will slowly peek out from behind the moon.
Some parts of east Greenland, Iceland and Portugal will also get a good view.
The UK won’t see totality but ‘partial’ means that as little as 3% of the sun will be visible, such as the Isles of Scilly, or roughly 9% in London.
Dr Argo and the Met Office say the best spots to see the partial eclipse are further west:
Devon Cornwall Western Pembrokeshire PlymouthThe Met Office says that, even if you’re on the most eastern points of the UK, you’ll still see the moon block about 88-90% of the sun.
Wherever you are, find a spot with a clear horizon and few skyscrapers, hills or other obstacles. Check the weather report in case of clouds or rain.
What time is the partial solar eclipse in the UK?
The moon will take a bite of more than 90% of the sun between around 6pm and just after 8pm on August 12.
But the exact times will vary depending on where in the UK you are, with the peak being around 7.10pm.
For accurate timings, search where you live on timeanddate.com.
How can I watch the solar eclipse?
You can only look up at the solar eclipse with the naked eye during totality.
In other words, in the UK, you’ll always need to wear specialised and certified eye protection at all times as it’s a partial eclipse.
Don’t look at it without a pair. Even a creeping sliver of the sun poking out from behind the moon can be damaging.
By ‘certified’ we mean that they have the ISO 12312-2:2015 certificate – this long number from the International Organization for Standardization means the pair are safe for observing the sun.
But before doing so, always check that the glasses have no holes in the lenses. If there is one, don’t just stick a bit of tape on them – buy a new pair.
To watch the eclipse through cameras, binoculars or telescopes, buy a solar filter.
Don’t head home after the eclipse ends, though. That’s when the peak of the Perseid meteor shower will begin.
Wait, what’s the Perseid meteor shower?
Meteor showers are caused by Earth passing through the rubble trailing a comet or asteroid, with the teeny debris burning up in our atmosphere.
They unfold over several weeks, with the peak being when most of this cosmic dirt hits us.
Perseids are the summer’s strongest cosmic fireworks display, kicking off in July and ending in late August.
Jamie Carter, editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com, says: ‘The best time to look will be about 2am, when you might see as many as 50 per hour.’
‘The darker your location, the more you’ll see, but some Perseids can be really bright.’ (Use this meteor meter to see how many are raining down.)
For Carter, author of Complete Guide to the Total Solar Eclipse 2027: ‘Eclipse of the Century’, August 12 will be quite the light show.
But it won’t be the last.
The next total solar eclipse, nicknamed the ‘Eclipse of the Century’, will be August 2, 2027, with southern Spain a great place to be.
Totality will last six minutes and 22 seconds.
‘That will be the last time there’s a total solar eclipse anywhere near Europe for a long time,’ Carter adds.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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