Solar Eclipse 2026 is over and Brits will have to wait a while for next one
Millions across the UK and Europe have just witnessed a solar eclipse and for many, the phenomenon is a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
It began at around 6pm in the UK, although was only a partial eclipse for much of Britain and western Europe, at around 92 percent. However, some areas in Greenland, Portugal and Spain experienced what is known as a a 'totality'.
The rare phenomenon - which saw the Moon pass directly between the Earth and the Sun, leaving a strip of the Earth's surface in darkness - was viewed by millions of humans down below, providing they had special glasses or a handful of household items.
There were special ways to capture it on a mobile phone, too. However, warnings had been issued over looking at the phenomenon directly... for obvious reasons.
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Instead, many people used household items, such as a colander or cardboard with holes in it, as a way to safely view the eclipse in the absence of proper glasses.
When will the next full solar eclipse be?
The next full solar eclipse isn't expected now until 2090, but there are a few other sun and moon eclipse events over the next year that could be more noticeable depending on where you are.
On 6 February next year, there will be what is called an 'annual solar eclipse', which is when the Moon is slightly too small in the sky to completely cover the Sun, so at maximum eclipse it creates a 'ring of fire' around the Moon.
NASA has confirmed that in 2027, the annular path will cross parts of South America and Africa as well as the South Atlantic Ocean. It will be visible across much of South America, the western half of Africa and parts of Antarctica.
According to Timeanddate, there are various eclipse events worldwide in 2027. A partial lunar eclipse is first listed for 27 August this year, which is when the Earth moves between the sun and the full moon, but they are not precisely aligned.
This will be visible across much of the world, especially North and South America as well as parts of Europe and Africa.
A partial solar eclipse, nicknamed the Eclipse of the Century, will then occur at the moon's descending node of orbit on 2 August next year, which will be visible mainly across northern Africa and southern Europe. In the UK, the cosmic event will begin around 9am and end around an hour later.
The next solar eclipse that will see the Sun covered by the Moon more than 90 percent won't be until 2081, according to scientists.
As per the Royal Museums Greenwich, it is predicted that up to 99 percent of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon on September 3 that year, with the south coast of the UK deemed the best place to observe it.
It will then be another nine years until the rare celestial phenomenon is observed again. The UK is set to get another total solar eclipse on September 23, 2090.
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, blocking out its light. There are several reasons why this doesn’t happen very often.
Firstly, the Moon and the Sun need to be on the same side of the Earth. In other words, the Moon needs to be in the daytime sky, i.e. a New Moon.
The Moon’s orbit also doesn’t line up with the Earth’s - it’s tilted by about five degrees. This means that usually the Moon passes over or under rather than in front of the Sun.
In fact, solar eclipses only occur twice a year, about every 173 days, in what are called eclipse seasons. Each eclipse season lasts about 35 days.
Many solar eclipses pass unnoticed.
This is because the Moon only casts a small shadow on the Earth, known as the path of totality.
You need to be directly in the path of totality to see a full eclipse, and nearby to catch a partial eclipse.
James Holt