An annular solar eclipse captured in 2012 (Phillip Jones/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images)
Millions are gathering to watch the once-in-a-lifetime sight of a total solar eclipse sweeping across North America.
While the annular eclipse is visible from Mexico to northeast Canada, it sadly won’t be seen in Britain.
Don’t fret though, because parts of the UK will catch the tail end as a partial eclipse sneaks into view just as the sun goes down.
But what exactly is a solar eclipse and when was the last one in the UK?
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and blocks the Sun.
There are three different kinds of solar eclipses: partial solar eclipses, annular solar eclipses and total solar eclipses.
Some parts of the Earth experience complete darkness during a full solar eclipse (Picture: Getty)
A total solar eclipse takes place when the Sun, Moon and Earth are in a direct line, and the Moon is close enough to the Earth.
This means the Sun is completely blocked and the sky becomes extremely dark, as if it were night time.
There are also partial solar eclipses which occur when the Sun, Moon and Earth are not exactly lined up.
When this happens, the Sun is partly obscured and appears to have a dark shadow on a small part of its surface.
The third is an annular solar eclipse which occurs when the Moon is farthest from Earth.
The rare annular ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse as seen from Doha in 2019 (Picture: Getty Images)
Here, the Moon does not block the entire view of the Sun and leaves the outer edges exposed, creating a ring-like effect.
When was the last solar eclipse in the UK?
The last UK total solar eclipse was on August 11, 1999.
During the last total solar eclipse in 1999, many flocked to Cornwall – the only place in the UK to witness totality, meaning the sky went completely dark.
However, partial and annular eclipses are more common, with the last partial eclipse taking place in the UK in August 2018.
Around two per cent of the sun was obscured in northern Scotland in Orkney and the Shetland Islands.
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When is the next solar eclipse in the UK?
Not everyone is as lucky as people in the US states of Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky, who’ll be seeing their second total eclipse in seven years.
This is an incredibly rare occurrence given total solar eclipses usually only return to the same spot once every 400 years.
Luckily Brits won’t have to wait quite that long for the next one, but sadly many of us still won’t be around to see – the next one is due on September 23, 2090.
However, next year a partial eclipse will cross the country, on March 29, 2025. Another will follow on August 12, 2026.
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