Solar eclipses happen at new Moon, when the Moon passes in front of the Sun; lunar eclipses at full Moon, when the Moon passes through Earth's shadow. Times below are UK time. A lunar eclipse is safe to watch with your eyes; a solar eclipse never is.
The full Moon slips through Earth's outer shadow from 21:12 to 01:13, and around 23:13 its upper edge only just misses the dark umbra, so look for a distinct grey shading on that side. The Moon is high in the south and the whole eclipse is visible from the UK. Safe to watch with the naked eye.
Saturday 20 February 2027
The full Moon slips through Earth's outer shadow from 21:12 to 01:13, and around 23:13 its upper edge only just misses the dark umbra, so look for a distinct grey shading on that side. The Moon is high in the south and the whole eclipse is visible from the UK. Safe to watch with the naked eye.
Monday 2 August 2027
Total in southern Spain and North Africa, partial from the UK. From London the eclipse begins at 09:03, peaks at 10:00 with about 42% of the Sun covered, and ends at 10:59. Coverage is greatest in the south (about 44% in Southampton and 42% in Cardiff) and falls to about 35% in Manchester, 32% in Belfast and 27% in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Sun is about 40° up in the south-east, so most views will do.
Times BST. Contact times from orbitalradar.com, coverage from nationaleclipse.com; both are within a minute or a percent of each other.
Eye safety: Never look at the Sun directly, and never through binoculars, a telescope or a camera without a certified solar filter. Use ISO-certified eclipse glasses or project the image onto card.
Friday 28 August 2026
The Moon enters Earth's umbra at 03:33 and reaches maximum at 05:12, when about 90% of the disc is in shadow, before leaving at 06:15. The Moon sits low in the south-west, so a clear horizon matters. Safe to watch with the naked eye.
Wednesday 12 August 2026
A deep partial eclipse for the UK — the best since 1999. From London the Moon first touches the Sun at 18:17, maximum coverage of about 90% comes at 19:13, and the eclipse ends at 20:06. Find a clear low western horizon.
Eye safety: Never look at the Sun directly, and never through binoculars, a telescope or a camera without a certified solar filter. Use ISO-certified eclipse glasses or project the image onto card.
The next eclipse visible from the UK is a penumbral lunar eclipse on Saturday 20 February 2027, from 21:12 GMT to 01:13 GMT.
London 42% (maximum 10:00), Cardiff 42% (maximum 09:57), Birmingham 39% (maximum 09:59), Manchester 35% (maximum 09:59), Belfast 32% (maximum 09:57), Glasgow 28% (maximum 09:59), Edinburgh 27% (maximum 10:00) (BST). Coverage is greatest in the south of the UK.
A penumbral lunar eclipse on Saturday 20 February 2027, from 21:12 GMT to 01:13 GMT. Lunar eclipses are safe to watch with the naked eye.
Never look at the Sun directly, even when most of it is covered, and never through binoculars, a telescope or a camera without a certified solar filter. Use eclipse glasses certified to ISO 12312-2, or project the Sun's image onto card through a pinhole.
More in the night sky: Meteor showers · Full moons · Solstices and equinoxes · Planets and comets. Every event in one list: the UK sky calendar.
