When Is The Next Total Solar Eclipse In England

Alright, gather 'round, you brave souls who live under the permanent grey duvet known as the British sky. You’ve probably glanced up, seen a vague lighter patch of cloud, and thought, “Right, where’s the sun gone now?” Well, I have news that will make you throw your umbrella into the air in sheer excitement. The next total solar eclipse in England isn't happening tomorrow, or next week, or even next decade. You’re going to need to wait a bit longer than that.

The Big, Bold, and Brutally Honest Date

Mark your calendars, people, but maybe use a pencil with a very, very good eraser. The next total solar eclipse visible from mainland England will occur on September 23, 2090. Yes, you read that right. The 2090s. If you were born in the 1990s, you’ll be pushing a hundred years old. The good news? You’ll finally have a solid excuse for forgetting where you put your glasses.

This isn't just a quick nip of darkness, either. The path of totality—that magic line where the moon completely blots out the sun—will slice right across the south of England. Cornwall, Devon, and parts of the South Coast will get the full, jaw-dropping, “is-this-the-apocalypse-or-just-Tuesday?” treatment. It will last for a magnificent three minutes and forty seconds. That’s roughly the time it takes to microwave a cup of tea, which is, let’s be honest, the most British way to experience a celestial event.

The Smaller, Closer Scrap (But It’s Not the Full Monty)

Don’t throw your eclipse glasses in the bin just yet, though. Before the big 2090 bash, England will get a few partial eclipses that are still pretty spectacular. Think of them as the opening acts for the headliner. On March 29, 2025, a huge chunk of the sun will be covered. It’ll look like a celestial Pac-Man took a massive bite out of your favorite star.

Then, in August 12, 2026, things get even better. The coverage will be a whopping 90% or more in some northern areas of England. This is the cosmic equivalent of walking past a bakery and getting a deep, satisfying whiff of fresh bread—you don’t get the whole loaf, but you know what the real deal tastes like. It will also be a total eclipse in Spain and Iceland, so if you've got a passport and a spare £50, you could actually see the real thing.

Why Is England So Rubbish at Total Eclipses?

You might be thinking, “Why does the rest of the world get all the cosmic fun while we get drizzle and clouds?” Well, blame the geometry. Total solar eclipses are rare on any given spot on Earth, happening only once every 375 years on average. England’s latitude and position just mean we’re in a bit of a drought. The last total eclipse visible from the UK mainland was way back in 1999 (from Cornwall, it was a cracker). The next one?

You already know it’s 2090. It’s a bit like waiting for a bus that shows up once every nine decades, and when it finally arrives, it’s wearing sunglasses and playing bagpipes. It’s worth the wait, but you’ll need a good book and a will to survive the journey. Oh, and for the truly patient, there’s another total eclipse on August 7, 2135, visible in the North. Yes, that’s the year 2135. By then, we’ll all be communicating with our pet robots via telepathy, and the sun will probably have a PR agent.

The One Weird Fact That Will Blow Your Mind

Here’s a surprising fact to make you feel small. During a total solar eclipse, the temperature can drop by as much as 10 degrees Celsius. In England, that might just mean it goes from “chilly” to “where did I put my other jumper?” But the real weirdness? Animals act bonkers. Birds stop singing. Cows head back to the barn, thinking it’s bedtime. Spiders start dismantling their webs because they think night is falling. Imagine trying to explain to a cow that it’s just a cosmic coincidence, not a signal from the great sky farmer.

And here’s the kicker: the moon is slowly drifting away from Earth, about 3.8 centimeters per year. In a few hundred million years, total solar eclipses won’t exist at all. The moon will be too small to fully cover the sun. So, the 2090 eclipse isn’t just a rare event—it’s a cosmic deadline. You’re in a race against the moon’s retreat. Better start training now. Or, you know, just set a very, very long reminder on your phone.

So, what do you do in the meantime? Practice. Every time it gets a bit cloudy, squint at the sky and pretend it’s the big moment. In 2090, when the sky turns that eerie, twilight blue and the stars pop out at 11 AM, you’ll be ready. And if you don’t make it? Well, at least you can haunt the event as a ghost. Just remember to bring your own eclipse glasses from beyond the grave.