Remembering the total eclipse in Cornwall as phenomenon
Cornwall is preparing to witness a 95-96% solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, nearly 27 years after the total eclipse of 1999. Residents and public figures are reflecting on the historical significance and personal memories of the 1999 event.
Why it matters
Solar eclipses are rare astronomical events that serve as significant cultural and community milestones, often drawing tourism and public interest.
Cornwall will be the best place in the UK to watch a near total eclipse of the sun on August 12 - 27 years almost to the exact day when the county experienced the phenomenon of a complete eclipse - on August 11, 1999. Thousands flocked across the Tamar for something nobody had ever seen in this country, and the county had not seen since 1927. This time around we will see a maximum coverage of 95% to 96% - the most anywhere in the UK - at 7:16pm, with the eclipse beginning at 6:18pm and ending at 8:10pm. But in 1999 Cornwall was the only part of mainland Britain to witness the rare total solar eclipse – the full blacking out of the sun by the moon.
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