Islanders will have the chance to witness a rare partial solar eclipse at sunset in just under 2 weeks’ time.
The eclipse is expected to begin at around 18:18 on Wednesday 12th August, reaching its maximum at approximately 19:14 before ending shortly after 20:07.
At its peak, the eclipse will have a magnitude of approximately 0.934, leaving the Sun appearing as a thin crescent around 11 degrees above the west-north-western horizon. Roughly 92% of the Sun will be obscured just before sunset.
The Isle of Wight will not experience totality, with the path of the total eclipse instead crossing Greenland, Iceland and Spain. However, weather permitting, the deep partial eclipse is still expected to provide an impressive sight as the Sun descends towards the horizon.
West-facing areas of the Island are likely to offer the clearest views, particularly locations with an unobstructed horizon. Suggested viewing spots include Ryde, Gurnard Esplanade, Totland Bay, Colwell Bay, Tennyson Down and Mottistone Down.
The Perseid meteor shower also reaches its annual peak later in the night on 12th August. With a new Moon, conditions should be favourable for meteor watching after full darkness, particularly from darker West Wight locations.
The next total solar eclipse won’t happen here until September 2090.
