28/07/2026
***THESE ARE ALL NOW GONE!
We now have some safety glasses for the upcoming partial solar eclipse available in the shop.
£3.00 a pair, or £5.00 for two pairs.
August will see its greatest solar eclipse in 27 years and afterwards upwards of 150 meteors an hour will light up the night sky.
Skies over the United Kingdom will see the greatest solar eclipse since 1999. While not a total solar eclipse, people will see around 90% of the Sun covered by the Moon across the British Isles. It’s happening the very same day as the Perseid meteor shower peaks.
The partial solar eclipse will take place on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, in the UK. In West Lancashire, the Moon will begin covering the Sun from around 6:13 pm, reaching its peak coverage at 7:10 pm, before ending its eclipse at 8:04 pm.
It is not safe to look directly at the Sun, in 1999, around 70 people experienced vision problems after watching the eclipse (40% looked at it for less than a minute). Instead, there are a variety of ways to see it that won’t damage your eyes:
Use special eclipse glasses that block out the Sun’s rays (make sure they meet the international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E), as ordinary sunglasses won’t cut it)
Make a ‘pinhole viewer’ or ‘pinhole projector’ with an old cereal box to watch indirectly (alternatively use the holes of a colander or the leaves of a tree)
Watch it via the Royal Observatory’s live stream, with coverage live on YouTube and Facebook from 6:10 pm via this link https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/online/solar-eclipse-august-2026-uk-live-stream?fbclid=IwVERDUATQikdwZG9mBWZkaWQWULKGwifm5G_mK0SPAPDIIXC57pnFR2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4u22a54cRH35h0UFWKzpIM_vemIm_-ybdySCZO8AEZtRdBKKkmxMj9RFmXkQ_aem_BVckz_6xfiKA3BU8OIvq7g
The Perseid meteor showers will peak during the night with up to 150 meteors per hour. The best time to spot the meteors is from around midnight to 5:30 am.
Head away from city lights if possible, countryside locations, coastal areas, or even a local park can help reduce light pollution.
Clear skies are essential, so keep an eye on weather conditions in the days leading up to the peak, so check the weather forecast.
Let your eyes adjust and give yourself at least 15–20 minutes in the dark to improve night vision. Avoid checking your phone.
Look up, the Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, so focus on a wide, unobstructed view rather than staring directly at the constellation.
August will see its greatest solar eclipse in 27 years and afterwards upwards of 150 meteors an hour will light up the night sky.
