I remember back on the 11th August 1999, when there was a 97% eclipse here (and total in Cornwall), it became very still, all the birds stopped their chirping and there was just a slight "nip in the air" feeling as the maximum was reached... the light started to fade, too, but it was oh so brief.

(I found out then that it takes at least 95% of the sun to vanish before you start to think "oh, it's getting dark"... shows just how bright it is!)

EDIT: Coincidentally, there's a 91% eclipse on the 12th August 2026. And unlike the 1999 one, it'll be around 90% or more over Scotland too! SW Ireland will see the greatest cover nearby, at 98% - you'll have to go to northern Spain or Portugal if you want to see totality. And if you want to go there, you'll probably need to book this summer!

There's a couple good ones over the next few years. From next year until 2030, the UK sees a partial eclipse every year, the biggest being the 90% eclipse on 12 August 2026 which plunges down the Atlantic and into Spain late in the day.

Interestingly, Spain also gets another eclipse on 2 August 2027, which crosses Cadiz and Malaga before dipping into Africa. That's one I've been eyeing up to go and see. I was just speaking it about it to my girlfriend, so hopefully! I want to see a total eclipse at least once in my life.

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Interestingly, Spain also gets another eclipse on 2 August 2027, which crosses Cadiz and Malaga before dipping into Africa. That's one I've been eyeing up to go and see. I was just speaking it about it to my girlfriend, so hopefully! I want to see a total eclipse at least once in my life.

If you want to go, make sure you book things as far in advance as you can.

My dad and I had plans to see the eclipse in the States in 2016, and even booking a year out the Holiday Inn Express I found - the only place I could get rooms in the area we'd picked - was over $300/night, which is more like the price for a 5-star InterContinental than a 2-star budget hotel! I booked flights on BA (using my Avios) 355 days out, at 1AM (they guarantee to release 2 business class seats on every flight, and if you're there at 1AM you can usually get them), and I managed to get internal flights on American Airlines too. I was dead chuffed.

Sod's law then happened - 2 months before we were due to fly, he was sadly diagnosed with terminal cancer, and he died 2 weeks after we would have gone. It's as good a point as any to mention FOMO - you never know what's around the corner, so if you can do something (assuming you can afford it), do it while you can!

Hope you get to see a total eclipse in due course. 😀(And jammy old America and Spain, we have to wait until 2090 until our next total one in the UK, and the next total one IMBY isn't until 2150 or so!)

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If you want to go, make sure you book things as far in advance as you can.

My dad and I had plans to see the eclipse in the States in 2016, and even booking a year out the Holiday Inn Express I found - the only place I could get rooms in the area we'd picked - was over $300/night, which is more like the price for a 5-star InterContinental than a 2-star budget hotel! I booked flights on BA (using my Avios) 355 days out, at 1AM (they guarantee to release 2 business class seats on every flight, and if you're there at 1AM you can usually get them), and I managed to get internal flights on American Airlines too. I was dead chuffed.

Sod's law then happened - 2 months before we were due to fly, he was sadly diagnosed with terminal cancer, and he died 2 weeks after we would have gone. It's as good a point as any to mention FOMO - you never know what's around the corner, so if you can do something (assuming you can afford it), do it while you can!

Hope you get to see a total eclipse in due course. 😀(And jammy old America and Spain, we have to wait until 2090 until our next total one in the UK, and the next total one IMBY isn't until 2150 or so!)

Thanks for the advice 👍

And sorry about what happened with your dad. That really is a cruel twist of fate. As you say, you have to just get on with things as you don't know what will hit you down the line.

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Echo that, Bolty. 

Sympathies, Darren 😪

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Thanks for the advice 👍

And sorry about what happened with your dad. That really is a cruel twist of fate. As you say, you have to just get on with things as you don't know what will hit you down the line.

There is a bit more advice for you - if you can find an area you like the look of, in terms of staying, contact them two years out. You never know, they might be able to put your reservation in their system early, even if online booking systems won't let you.

That won't work with flights, mind you, as they use a different system entirely. Although it would normally be a bad idea to book (for cash) 355 days out (for BA), you might find it best to pay the extra to get a guaranteed flight. Ryanair and Easyjet don't have a fixed release schedule, so you'll have to be on the ball if you want to get the flights the day they're released! Easyjet's schedule release is here: https://www.easyjet.com/en/schedule-release 

And thank you for your kind words, both Bolty and Saint: it's one of the things I've learnt over the years, do things while you can as you'll only regret it if something changes and means you can't any more. (Same applies to my trip to Japan I'd booked for 2020, and indeed my formerly weekly visits to the wolves... Covid happened, then I injured my eye, and it's only now that I'm finally getting well enough to travel/drive long distances again... you just never know! At least if you use points you can cancel for free.)

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Keep an eye out for possible Auroras if skies are clear.
For future alerts see:
See the aurora borealis from the UK
https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ 

There was activity last night.
Northern Lights put on display above Cornwall
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-68834605 

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Keep an eye out for possible Auroras if skies are clear.
For future alerts see:
See the aurora borealis from the UK
https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ 

There was activity last night.
Northern Lights put on display above Cornwall
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-68834605 

I'll be in Cornwall from Sunday! No doubt it will be cloudy though and no possibility of Aurora displays lol

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We might get lucky if skies are clear. See:
https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ 
https://spaceweather.com/ 
 

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We might get lucky if skies are clear. See:
https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ 
https://spaceweather.com/ 
 

It needs to get dark first! 😀

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It needs to get dark first! 😀

Yes, but you can't control that! 🤣 Looking at the incoming data we may have missed it... I had to have this conversation with my other half earlier! 😁
https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ 
 

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Just noticed this

https://watchers.news/2024/04/17/asteroid-2024-ha-flew-past-earth-at-just-0-4-ld-the-closest-flyby-of-the-year-and-20th-closest-on-record/ 

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Yes, but you can't control that! 🤣 Looking at the incoming data we may have missed it... I had to have this conversation with my other half earlier! 😁
https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ 
 

"Today's CME strike may be the first of several. Multiple faint CMEs that left the sun earlier this week are on an approximate collision course with Earth. None is especially fast or potent, but their collective effect could cause more geomagnetic storms starting April 21st."
https://spaceweather.com/ 

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Lyrids peak tonight?
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/lyrid-meteor-shower-when-where-see-it-uk 
"The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks on the night of April 21-22 when Earth passes through a stream of debris from Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1). These meteors are best seen from the northern hemisphere where the radiant is high in the sky before dawn."
https://spaceweather.com/ 
I suspect moonlight will spoil the seeing in the UK. More info here.
https://www.imo.net/resources/calendar/#Lyrids 

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Lyrids peak tonight?
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/lyrid-meteor-shower-when-where-see-it-uk 
"The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks on the night of April 21-22 when Earth passes through a stream of debris from Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1). These meteors are best seen from the northern hemisphere where the radiant is high in the sky before dawn."
https://spaceweather.com/ 
I suspect moonlight will spoil the seeing in the UK. More info here.
https://www.imo.net/resources/calendar/#Lyrids 

I may get lucky enough to see some tonight as we’re staying on a farm down in south Cornwall 😊

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I may get lucky enough to see some tonight as we’re staying on a farm down in south Cornwall 😊

See one for me, WW! I doubt the  Moon and local light pollution will do anything for us here.

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See one for me, WW! I doubt the  Moon and local light pollution will do anything for us here.

It's a little overcast right now, but plenty of holes so 🤞 It's also lovely and quiet, we really are out in the sticks ☺

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