HOW AND WHERE TO BEST SEE THE ECLIPSE FROM TEDDINGTON
Bushy Park may be the best place to get a great view of the eclipse tonight, say the experts, rather than staying in any built-up areas around Teddington.
A quick study of data available online shows the following, which may not be definitive but may be helpful and interesting.
Recommendation for eclipse watching:
Best nearby location:Bushy Park
Arrive: 6:00–6:15 pm
Best viewing: around 7:13 pm
Direction: west / north-west
What you need: a spot with a clear, unobstructed horizon.
The London eclipse runs approximately 6:17 pm–8:06 pm, with maximum eclipse at 7:13 pm, when about 91% of the Sun will be covered.
Even better if you’re willing to travel:King Henry’s Mound in Richmond Park.
Being elevated gives you a better chance of seeing the very low Sun, although you should check the park’s access arrangements before going.
If possible use proper ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses. Do not look directly at the Sun through ordinary sunglasses, binoculars or a camera.
HOW TO USE A COLANDER TO SEE THE ECLIPSE
Here are 10 facts about tonight’s 12 August 2026 solar eclipse:
- 🌑 London gets about 90–92% coverage — only a thin crescent of Sun remains at maximum.
- 🕖 Maximum is around 7:13 pm BST in London.
- 🌅 The Sun will be low in the western sky, so a clear horizon is especially important.
- 🌍 It is actually a total solar eclipse globally — but London is outside the narrow path of totality.
- 🇮🇸 Iceland gets totality, including Reykjavík; parts of Spain and Greenland do too.
- ⏱️ The London eclipse lasts about 1 hour 49 minutes, from roughly 6:17–8:06 pm.
- 🌡️ You may notice the temperature drop and daylight become strangely muted around maximum.
- 🌌 The sky won’t go properly dark in London because the Sun isn’t completely covered — it will be more like an eerie dusk.
- 🔭 This is the biggest eclipse visible from Britain since 1999, when parts of the UK experienced totality.
- 🌙 It has a lunar-eclipse companion: a partial lunar eclipse will be visible from the UK on 28 August.
And here’s the really crazy fact: Britain won’t see another total solar eclipse until 2090.
⚠️ Even with 90%+ coverage, the remaining sunlight is dangerous. Use proper certified solar eclipse glasses/filters — ordinary sunglasses are not safe.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR IMAGES OF THE ECLIPSE TONIGHT PLEASE SEND TO contact@teddingtontown.co.uk