Peterborough astronomer reveals where you should go in the city to get a great view of Wednesday’s rare solar eclipse

On Wednesday evening (August 12), the UK will experience its greatest eclipse since 1999 as the Moon moves between the Sun and the Earth.

The rare astronomical event will be watched by millions of people across the country, with experts predicting that between 90-96% of the sun will be covered by the moon for the first time in 27 years.

After this week's event, the UK will not see another deep partial solar eclipse until 2050, while the next total solar eclipse visible from the UK is not due until 2090.

The amount of coverage you'll see depends on your location within the UK and cloud coverage, with those in East Anglia afforded ‘excellent’ views, according to the Met Office.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun’s light either partly or fully.

Where and when will I be able to see the eclipse in Peterborough?

The eclipse will take place on Wednesday evening between 6.17pm and 8.06pm.

In Peterborough, residents will notice the ‘first contact’ just after 6.15pm.

The eclipse will reach its maximum at 7.11pm, when roughly 90% of the sun is covered.

Andy Yates, Chairman of the Peterborough Astronomical Society, told the Peterborough Telegraph how residents can make sure they get a great view of the rare event.

He said: “Because the eclipse is happening in the evening, it’s going to be as the sun’s coming into set.

“You’re going to need a good, clear view of the western horizon so you can see where the sun’s setting.

“That’s the key bit, otherwise you’re going to be looking behind trees or houses.

“Finding somewhere nice and open with a clear view of the western horizon would be ideal.”

Members of the Peterborough Astronomical Society will be gathering at Ferry Meadows on Wednesday evening ahead of the eclipse, with members of the public welcome to go along to share the experience.

The gathering is not an official event, but those in attendance will be able to ask members questions and share equipment such as scopes and glasses.

Andy reiterates that anyone intending to view the eclipse to do so safely, either using special glasses or other equipment.

“Do not look straight at the eclipse with the naked eye. You either need special solar glasses or specific camera equipment with the right filters on it to look through.

“I will add that there are a couple of other things that you can do. One of which is to make a pinhole camera-type of thing.

“Get a piece of card with a little pinhole in it and then have another piece of white card behind it.

“Get the distance right and you should get a projection of the sun with the moon going across it on the second piece of card.

“An alternative thing to do is to use your kitchen colander which, again, has lots of little holes in it to generate lots of little images on a piece of card behind.”