UK Prepares for Partial Solar Eclipse and Perseid Meteor Shower
Rare celestial events offer dual spectacle with clear skies expected across much of England and Wales, though total eclipse remains decades away.
Carla Rooney
A partial solar eclipse will cast a shadow across the UK today, preceding the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
London anticipates approximately 92% solar coverage, while Manchester and Liverpool will experience 'first contact' with the eclipse at 6:13pm.
The phenomenon concludes across all affected locations by 8:10pm.
Plymouth expects a 94.66% obscuration at 7:16 PM; the setting sun's light will be virtually blocked across the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and northern Italy.
Directly viewing the sun without adequate protection risks permanent eye damage; special eclipse glasses or pinhole projectors are recommended for safe observation.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory states regular sunglasses offer insufficient protection for viewing the solar phenomenon.
The government reportedly warns Britons to use a colander to view the upcoming solar eclipse.
The moon, 400 times smaller than the sun, appears the same size from Earth due to its 400-times closer proximity.
Following this eclipse, the Perseid meteor shower peaks on the night of August 12-13.
Viewing conditions for the Perseids are enhanced this year by a new moon; less moonlight will interfere.
The Perseid meteor shower originates from debris left by the Swift-Tuttle comet, which completes its orbit around the Sun every 133 years.
Stargazers across most of England and Wales anticipate largely clear skies, though a small risk of localised showers exists.
These isolated showers, perhaps over the North Pennines or Cumbrian Fells, should remain very few and far between. The next total solar eclipse visible in the UK is not expected until 2090.