There is a chance you can see the upcoming solar eclipse right here in the UK – Americans aren’t getting all the fun.
On Monday, April 8, a total solar eclipse is sweeping across North America, starting in Mexico and travelling across the US and into northeast Canada.
However, the tail end of this most magical of spectacles will be visible in parts of the UK and Ireland, as a partial eclipse sneaks into view.
According to timeanddate.com, the start of the partial eclipse is predicted to be at 7.52pm and end at 8.51pm.
Can you see the solar eclipse in the UK in 2024?
The partial solar eclipse will pass across Scotland, Ireland and the north of England.
Cities that can catch a glimpse of the eclipse include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Belfast, Inverness, Stornoway, Dublin, Galway, Cork and Limerick.
If you can’t whisk yourself away to the north for the chance of a partial solar eclipse, Nasa will be live-streaming the whole event on its official YouTube channel or its site, or you can catch it below.
However, we are talking the UK and Ireland here, so it should be noted that the chance of seeing a partial solar eclipse is heavily dependent on the weather – let’s hope for clear skies.
Where can you see the partial solar eclipse in the UK and Ireland?
UK
- Stornoway: 22.5% coverage
- Inverness: 16%
- Edinburgh: 6.1%
- Glasgow: 11.2%
- Belfast: 17.2%
- Liverpool: 0.64%
- Manchester: 0.82%
Ireland
- Dublin: 15.4%
- Galway: 34.5%
- Cork: 19.5%
- Limerick: 20%
Why is this total solar eclipse special?
Total solar eclipses are special as they are only supposed to happen every once in 375 years in the same place in the world.
However, for those lucky enough to be in the US states of Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky, this will be the second time in seven years a total eclipse has crossed them.
Seeing a total solar eclipse in the same locations is incredibly rare.
When is the next time a total solar eclipse will be seen in the UK?
People in the UK have a long time to wait until the next total solar eclipse.
Whilst a partial eclipse will be viewed across 90% of the country in 2026, the next total eclipse won’t be until 2081 in the Channel Islands or 2090 in the South West.
The last total solar eclipse seen in the UK was in 1999, and was spotted over Cornwall and parts of Devon.
However, in a typical British fashion, clouds covered it from other areas it should have been visible in.
Total solar eclipses generally occur every 18 months or so, but partial ones take place between two and five times a year.
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