August 2026 is going to be an exciting time for everyone interested in all things celestial, with two eclipses (one of the Sun and one of the Moon) and a great shower of meteors (‘shooting stars’) on view this month.
- Wed 12 Aug, evening — Partial Solar Eclipse (93% coverage at maximum in West Sussex, visible from the whole UK)
- 11–14 Aug, especially before dawn on the 13th — Perseid Meteor Shower peak, dark skies all week
- Fri 28 Aug, before dawn — Partial Lunar Eclipse
On Wednesday, 12th August 2026, in the early evening, the entire UK will witness a spectacular partial eclipse of the Sun.
This celestial event occurs when the New Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, and although they are not perfectly aligned from Britain and Ireland, only a thin sliver of the Sun will remain at maximum eclipse. This will be the biggest partial eclipse of the Sun to be visible from the UK since March 2015.
The eclipse will begin at about 6:18pm here in West Sussex, with the maximum coverage occurring at 7:14pm, and it will end at 8:07pm. At maximum eclipse, a stunning 93 percent of the Sun’s diameter will be obscured by the dark disk of the Moon, creating a fascinating sight for skywatchers with the eclipsed Sun looking a bit like an upside-down ‘smiley face’ emoji The Sun will set only about 25 minutes after the eclipse ends.
Watching this event will be a little tricky because the Sun will be low in the west-north-western sky at the time of the eclipse and sinking lower as the eclipse progresses. So, you need to find a site with a very clear, unobstructed western horizon. This might be difficult in some larger towns and cities, so it may be best to find a site up high, say at the top of a hill, and look west.
Elsewhere in Europe, for example in Spain and the western Mediterranean, the Moon will completely cover the Sun in a glorious total solar eclipse, the first such eclipse from mainland Europe since 1999.
⚠️ Never look directly at the Sun during a partial eclipse without proper eye protection. Sunglasses (even multiple pairs), photographic film, CDs and smoked glass are NOT safe. You should view the Sun ONLY through special-purpose filters, identified as suitable for direct viewing of the Sun, and bearing a statement that they conform to the ISO 12312-2 international standard.
DO use these special filters to view the eclipse while any part of the Sun’s brilliant disk, however small, is still visible. This will apply at all times in Britain and Ireland.
📄 Full solar safety guidance →
Why not join the experts at the Planetarium who will show you how to enjoy the event safely? If the sky is clear, they will have special equipment available outside for safe solar viewing.
www.southdowns.org.uk/eclipse3966.html
Perfect Conditions for the Perseid Meteors!
With Last Quarter occurring on 6th August and New Moon on the 12th, dark skies coincide with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower this year. Although meteors (popularly known as ‘shooting stars’) can be seen on any night of the year, at certain times they become much more numerous. One of these times is mid-August, when we have the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower — named for their radiant point in the constellation of Perseus.
The shower is expected to peak between 01h and 04h UT (02h and 05h BST) on Thursday, 13th August — excellent timing for observers in the UK, where the early morning hours before dawn will probably produce the highest rates. The peak is quite broad, though, so with virtually no interference from moonlight, the nights of 11–12, 12–13 and 13–14 August are all likely to yield good rates.
The Perseids come from dust shed by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, last seen in 1992 and not due back until 2126 — but its debris burns up in our atmosphere every year, at around 58.6 km/sec (about 131,000 mph).
When to Watch
- From 8–9 August — a noticeable uptick in activity begins, increasing steadily in dark skies.
- Peak nights: 11–12, 12–13 and 13–14 August — under clear, dark skies expect 50–70 meteors an hour at the peak (fewer from light-polluted areas; even from towns, around ten an hour is possible near the peak).
- Best time: pre-dawn hours — rates improve as the radiant climbs higher, particularly after midnight on 12–13 August heading towards dawn.
Perseids can appear in any part of the sky, so you don’t need to face any particular direction — though meteors near the radiant will look short, while those on the other side of the sky streak across in longer trails. Evening meteors, though fewer, tend to be the most dramatic ‘earth-grazers’, lasting longer and travelling further across the sky.
The Perseids are one of the most reliable showers of the year, producing an abundance of fast, bright meteors, many with persistent trains — and a high percentage of fireballs. Let’s hope the weather cooperates!
…and a Major Eclipse of the Moon!
Before dawn on the morning of Friday, 28th August 2026, there will be a very significant partial eclipse of the Moon visible from Britain and Ireland (more details in the next South Downs’ newsletter)
www.southdowns.org.uk/index.html
image: Adobe Stock
