Solar Eclipse, 12th August 2026

Clear skies and an early evening timing gave thousands of Bristolians the excitement of seeing the August 12th partial solar eclipse.

Remember that you must not look directly at the sun and, to view an eclipse, suitable equipment or special solar glasses must be used.

Perhaps surprisingly, solar eclipses occur on average every 16 months somewhere on the Earth. They happen, of course, when the orbits of the Moon and Earth align relative to the Sun, so that the shadow of the Moon moves across the Earth’s surface. Although the Moon’s disc is 400 times smaller than that of the Sun, it is also 400 times closer to the Earth and so the Sun’s disc is fully covered when viewed from within the narrow track of the shadow across of the Earth’s surface. This gives a total eclipse. On each side of this path there is a partial shadow, where some of the Sun remains visible.

This is what was seen in Bristol and large parts of Europe and Africa. Estimates suggest that only about 15 million people had the chance to see the total eclipse but about 980 million the partial eclipse.

The show is not over. Eclipses in particular areas tend to occur in groups of two or three. Another one is due to pass through the southern tip of Spain and on through north Africa on in the morning of August 2nd 2027. Weather permitting, it will be visible as a partial eclipse in Bristol. So don’t throw away your solar glasses, you may need them next year.

Eclipses of the Moon occur when a full moon passes through the Earth’s shadow and takes on a deep red colour. Because the shadow of the Earth is so large, these last a lot longer than solar eclipse. A partial lunar eclipse will be seen from Bristol, weather permitting, on the night of 27th/28th August 2026, but takes place in the middle of the night so only the very keen will see it.

Dr A R McCarthy, PhD, CChem, FRSC, FRAS, Rtd MIOSH, ACT (Bristol)
Outreach Coordinator, Bristol Astronomical Society