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The solar eclipse on Wednesday 12th August

(209 Posts)
FriedGreenTomatoes2 Thu 06-Aug-26 09:00:37

I’ve just bought some Celestron Solar Eclipse Glasses on line (cardboard frames) for myself and family for safe viewing. This eclipse will be as good as the one in 1999 - if cloud cover allows.

Do you plan to watch the event?

Grammaretto Wed 12-Aug-26 20:30:47

An excuse for a party!
Neighbours had a pack of the specs and yes I saw the partial eclipse.
Then there was cloud cover so we resorted to wine and grub.

Jaxjacky Wed 12-Aug-26 20:21:53

I won’t be awake for the Perseids either, but daughter and children in Turkey said they will 😏.

Litterpicker Wed 12-Aug-26 20:18:49

We saw it upstairs via pinhole and colander and white card. You had to be outside I think to see how the light changed - it’s not the same as normal dusk. The herring gulls and wood pigeons round here (south coast West Sussex) didn’t shut up though! It was lovely to see so many people heading for the beach and out in gardens, some with eclipse glasses and one with a telescope. I’ll be too sleepy to look for meteor shower tonight - I’ve been out all day. It was lovely 😊

fancythat Wed 12-Aug-26 20:18:18

Whitewavemark2

But we knew it was only going to be partial.

The wonder is that although the sun was up to 92% covered, the amount of light that was still there. It shows how all powerful it is.

But it did get very dim here and the light was different to anything else.

Agree with all of that.

Calendargirl Wed 12-Aug-26 20:12:58

I used the colander, but all I could see was …colander!

DH kept saying it worked, but not for me.

A neighbour came round with a Blue Peter cornflake box effort, saying how great it was.

Not to me, still couldn’t make out anything.

Oh well, roll on 2090!

😂

ginny Wed 12-Aug-26 20:12:12

Very disappointing in N. Bucks. Tried with a colander and pin box, both useless. Didn’t notice it go dark at all and all the birds seemed quite happy flying about. OI will just have to remember the last one in 1999.

Greenfinch Wed 12-Aug-26 20:11:33

We sat in the garden expecting something special but nothing happened. It got slightly darker but that’s all. Birds still singing. What an anti-climax.

Visgir1 Wed 12-Aug-26 20:10:41

My DS and his family sent some amazing pictures from the Cruise he is on off the coast of Spain.
Great experience for his 2 young daughters.

MayBee70 Wed 12-Aug-26 20:07:13

Whitewavemark2

Perseus tonight.

So that will be something else to get underwhelmed.

Oh no. On a clear night and in the right place they are wonderful! Magical. But it’s usually cloudy. I’ve spent every Perseid night for years lying in the garden staring at the sky and it freaks me out because it only seems like yesterday each year. I have been in Northumberland for it and it’s unreal. It takes a while for your eyes to get used to it and I’m surrounded by too many trees and light here but I usually manage to see a few.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 12-Aug-26 20:06:47

Honestly!!

You all lack soul and wonder.

Desdemona Wed 12-Aug-26 20:01:03

Nothing of note. I suppose the time of day had a lot to do with it. Was getting dark anyway.

avitorl Wed 12-Aug-26 19:55:43

Was that it then. 1999 one was exciting.Sky went totally dark,birds flew back to their bushes thinking it was night time and then flew out again when the sun reappeared.

BlueBelle Wed 12-Aug-26 19:54:59

Oh well that was a nothing, pigeons and seagulls still flying around and squawking, sun been shining all the time what an anti climax is it over now ? Is that it?

Whitewavemark2 Wed 12-Aug-26 19:54:56

Perseus tonight.

So that will be something else to get underwhelmed.

SporeRB01 Wed 12-Aug-26 19:54:06

We sat in our kitchen when the eclipse was at its maximum. The kitchen was so dark and eerie. When I went out to the patio, the security light turned on because it was so dark.
Not as good as the previous eclipse, I was at work when it happened.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 12-Aug-26 19:53:18

Our cat certainly noticed it😄

Whitewavemark2 Wed 12-Aug-26 19:52:36

But we knew it was only going to be partial.

The wonder is that although the sun was up to 92% covered, the amount of light that was still there. It shows how all powerful it is.

But it did get very dim here and the light was different to anything else.

BlueBelle Wed 12-Aug-26 19:51:38

Nothing here in Suffolk birds still flying around not even slightly dark

fancythat Wed 12-Aug-26 19:47:23

I enjoyed it more than last time.
We have gcs here.
The eldest did say she had expected things to go darker than they did.
Hopefully they will remember it.

TerriBull Wed 12-Aug-26 19:46:49

No it didn't go dark here either. My memory of the 1999 one was during the day, total darkness, this has been a bit of damp squib of an eclipse. Although we did get total silence for a while. Daft pigeons now immersed in their interminable dialogue, probably saying something along the lines "was that it! !"

Bukkie Wed 12-Aug-26 19:46:09

Perhaps I was expecting too muchconfused

Bukkie Wed 12-Aug-26 19:45:22

It was a complete anti climax in East Yorkshire. It got a bit windy and slightly darker like it does when a cloud covers the sun.

grumppa Wed 12-Aug-26 19:44:24

Anti-climax in NE London.

MayBee70 Wed 12-Aug-26 19:43:29

Just went a bit dark in the midlands sad

TerriBull Wed 12-Aug-26 19:41:49

I've also often wondered what ancient people would have thought, possibly they attributed the eclipse as a sign of displeasure from some God or other. Druids getting a message that Stonehenge was lacking in symmetry or the latest straw man needed far more work on him, too many loose bits sticking out shock