If you’re looking to see your first total eclipse, we have bad news. The next full eclipse in the UK won’t be taking place any time soon.
However, we will be able to see partial ones before then.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about catching a glimpse of this wonder.
What is a total eclipse?
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon and sun overlap.
The moon is able to cover the sun’s disc because although the sun is about 400 times bigger than the moon, it is also about 400 times further away, so they appear the same size in our sky.
If you are in exactly the right alignment on the surface of the Earth at the right time, you will see the two overlap exactly. This creates a zone that scientists call totality – the line where the moon completely blocks the sun, plunging the sky into darkness.
Why are they so rare?
According to website Time and Date, solar eclipses can only happen around a new moon because of the alignment of Earth, the moon and the sun during that period. But this does not mean that eclipses of the sun happen every time there is a new moon.
Both celestial bodies also have to be near a lunar node, which happens around six months apart, and lasts, on average, about 34.5 days.
The lunar nodes are two points where the plane of the moon's orbital path around Earth meets Earth's orbital plane around the sun. This is called the ecliptic. The orbital paths meet on rare occasions because the plane of the moon's path around Earth is inclined at an angle of approximately 5° to the ecliptic. Because of all of these elements, it takes approximately 375 years for a total solar eclipse to occur again in the exact same location.
Most humans have the chance to see one of these events once during their lives. However, if a person was willing to travel to other countries, it is possible to see a total solar eclipse more than once.
When is the next full eclipse in the UK?
There have only been eight total solar eclipses in the last 500 years visible from the UK.
The last total eclipse in the UK was in August 1999.
However, you will be waiting a while to see the next one: it isn’t expected until September23, 2090.
According to TimeandDate.com, UK residents could see a partial solar eclipse on April 8.
The last solar eclipse visible from the UK was the partial solar eclipse on June 10, 2021.
When is the next full eclipse in the US?
The next total solar eclipse will occur on April 8, and will only appear in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
According to Nasa, it will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2044.
It will be partially visible from Europe, including the UK, as a partial eclipse.
