UK's Deepest Eclipse Since 1999 Arrives Wednesday
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- UK skies will see up to 96% of the Sun covered during Wednesday evening's eclipse — the deepest UK eclipse since 1999 — peaking between 18:58 and 19:15 BST depending on location.
- Northern Spain sits on the path of totality, with clear skies forecast for Bilbao, Valencia and Palma; Spain's finance ministry said half a million visitors are expected.
- Devon, Cornwall and western Pembrokeshire will see the deepest UK coverage at 94-96%, with the rest of Wales, Northern Ireland, parts of the West Midlands and western Scotland seeing 92-94%.
- Western Scotland and Northern Ireland face cloud cover and outbreaks of rain between 18:00 and 19:00, while much of the rest of the UK should have clear skies.
- The path of totality won't return to the UK until 2090, with no partial eclipse as deep as Wednesday's hitting British shores until 2081.
- The Perseid meteor shower also peaks Wednesday evening, but Royal Astronomical Society research fellow Dr Becky Smethurst said the odds of spotting a shooting star during totality are "extremely slim."
Why it matters: This is the deepest UK partial eclipse until 2081, making Wednesday a once-in-a-generation spectacle for British viewers. Northern Spain gets a tourism windfall from half a million eclipse visitors, with clear skies expected in Bilbao, Valencia and Palma while Madrid and Barcelona see over 99% coverage.
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