Solar eclipse won’t be this big again until 2081

By Lauren Wilkin

A solar eclipse will be visible in the UK on Aug. 12 - and today an astronomer has revealed the best way to see it.

The solar eclipse is set to be one of the largest ever seen in the UK, with 96% of the sun expected to be covered.

An eclipse this large won't happen again until 2081.

"From the UK, you will see the Moon slowly cover the Sun until it is 89-96% covered, depending on where you are," says Mark Gallaway, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a lecturer for the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

However, he adds that it is unlikely to get that dark.

"The eclipse is quite late in the day, with the maximum occurring between 7:05 p.m. and 7:16 p.m. BST," Mark said.

"The further south and south-west you are, the more coverage of the Sun you will see, but it will never be totally covered from the UK."

The best viewing spots are likely to be:

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1. Isles of Scilly
2. Land's End
3. Cape Cornwall
4. Hartland Point, Devon
5. Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire
6. South Stack, North Wales
7. Neist Point, Scotland

But Mark said: "Almost anywhere will see it as long as you have a clear view of the western horizon."

While solar eclipses are magical spectacles, they can be dangerous to view.

"Please don't use a telescope or binoculars or any optical devices unless you are 100% sure you know what you are doing," Mark said.

"The best way to see it is with eclipse glasses, which cost a few pounds.

"At no point will it be safe to look at the Sun with the naked eye in the UK," he added, saying that sunglasses are not good enough and do not block out enough UV.

Although worldwide, an eclipse of this size isn't that rare - we get about 1-2 a year - for the UK, it's extremely rare.

"The last one was in 1999, and the next one anywhere near as good as this one will be September 3, 2081," he said.

The next total eclipse visible in the UK is set to be in 2090.