Partial (70%) solar eclipse from 2021 in Halifax, Canada (Photo By Paulo O from Halifax, Canada – Partial Solar Eclipse, 10 June 2021, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107861703)
Dear Readers, this Wednesday (12th August) there will be the chance to view a pretty impressive solar eclipse – in London it’s expected that the moon’s shadow will cover 91 percent of the sun at 19.13, whilst if you’re lucky enough to be in Cork in Ireland 96 percent of the sun will be covered. Back in 2024 I was in Toronto for a 99 percent eclipse, but this one promises to be pretty exciting. Plus the next full eclipse in the UK won’t be taking place until 2090, by which time I would be 130 years old. Unlikely.
Last time there was an eclipse in the UK in 1990, 70 people damaged their eyesight by looking at the sun, some of them permanently – 40 percent of those people had looked at the sun for less than a minute. So, the recommendation is to use proper eclipse glasses, though good luck with getting them at this point. I bought some for the Toronto trip, and six months after using them I got a recall notice saying they weren’t up to standard, so do be careful.
If you are in the UK and want to watch the eclipse in the company of astronomers, have a look at the site below, which has some details. Many of them will be hanging around with telescopes to watch the Pleiades meteor shower, which is likely to peak later in the evening, so it’s quite the day for sky watchers.
People in Greenland, Northern Russia, Iceland, Portugal, France and Spain will also be able to see the eclipse (a friend of ours should have an excellent view from Iceland). By the time the eclipse happens it will be quite low in. the western sky, so viewing it over water should give a great view. Wherever you are, though, the sky will darken, birds will become confused and it will feel cooler (no bad thing at the moment). The whole event will take just under two hours, with the moon gradually ‘eating’ the sun and then fading away again. Definitely worth finding a spot that suits your personality – I like to sit quietly and listen to the birds, and watch the light gradually fading, but other more extrovert souls seem to like to party. Whatever floats your boat, for sure! For me, an eclipse is one of those occasions when I’m reminded of how small we humans are, and for that I like a bit of silence. But let’s see what happens! And happy eclipse watching, if you’re in the right spot to observe it.