Solar Eclipse 12/08/2026

[Futtocks]

If you're wondering when the hot clear blue skies will end, I guess next Wednesday is a good bet for thick cloud cover.

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/solar-eclipse-august-2026-uk-ireland 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

24 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

If you're wondering when the hot clear blue skies will end, I guess next Wednesday is a good bet for thick cloud cover.

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/solar-eclipse-august-2026-uk-ireland 

I went to Cornwall to see the eclipse in '99. We had a week of clear blue skies except for between around 6am and 2pm on the day....

[Futtocks]

On 03/08/2026 at 15:29, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

I went to Cornwall to see the eclipse in '99. We had a week of clear blue skies except for between around 6am and 2pm on the day....

The Pet Shop Boys recorded a track for the 1999 eclipse.

 

[Maximus Decimus]

I can remember the disappointment of '99. Of course I get back tomorrow so will miss the whole bloody thing. 

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Maximus Decimus said:

I can remember the disappointment of '99. Of course I get back tomorrow so will miss the whole bloody thing. 

I had a very enjoyable time standing on an office block in the city watching a reflection of the eclipse in a very shiny skyscraper. It was pretty eerie.

One thing that has pulled me up a bit though: I spent that time with about half a dozen people who I now won't have spoken to for about 20 years but who were sort of important at the time, *and* both the building I was on and the skyscraper were torn down years ago.

[hindle xiii]

Colander didn't work that well.

[Gerrumonside ref]

Reminded me of Everton

[Futtocks]

I filmed this against the wall by my front door.

 

[Griff]

11 minutes ago, hindle xiii said:

Colander didn't work that well.

Holes are too big. A pinhole camera is what it says on the tin - a pinhole.

[graveyard johnny]

not sure if its supposed to have hapened or not? been sat in the garden and didnt notice anything happen?

[Futtocks]

23 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

not sure if its supposed to have hapened or not? been sat in the garden and didnt notice anything happen?

We still got over 10% of the sun's light, which is a fair bit, especially when your brain compensates up to a point.

You may have seen changes in the shadows or car headlights seeming brighter.

Spain got the full Bonnie Tyler and the images on TV from there were much more obvious.

Edited August 12 by Futtocks

[graveyard johnny]

48 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

We still got over 10% of the sun's light, which is a fair bit, especially when your brain compensates up to a point.

You may have seen changes in the shadows or car headlights seeming brighter.

Spain got the full Bonnie Tyler and the images on TV from there were much more obvious.

NAH - saw nowt - what a load of bullocks - I  want my money back - wasted a full evening waiting for beggar all 

[hindle xiii]

1 hour ago, graveyard johnny said:

not sure if its supposed to have hapened or not? been sat in the garden and didnt notice anything happen?

Were you facing west?

[Gerrumonside ref]

6 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

NAH - saw nowt - what a load of bullocks - I  want my money back - wasted a full evening waiting for beggar all 

Perseid meteor shower tonight.

Tune your old radio to static and when the shower is overhead at a certain angle you’ll magically start to hear French radio stations for a short time being bounced back.

Science in action as a physicist at Jodrell Bank once showed me.

[Hopie]

1 hour ago, hindle xiii said:

Colander didn't work that well.

Worked great for me once I worked out how far away to hold it from the wall.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

1 hour ago, hindle xiii said:

Colander didn't work that well.

Worked well for me this evening.  Drained the green veg perfectly.

Like GYJ, I thought this seemed an over-hyped event.  I saw at least one description of it as a 'once in a generation event'.  Given 1999, this prompts the question, "How long is a generation?", but answering that here might take us off-topic!

[hindle xiii]

38 minutes ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

Worked well for me this evening.  Drained the green veg perfectly.

Like GYJ, I thought this seemed an over-hyped event.  I saw at least one description of it as a 'once in a generation event'.  Given 1999, this prompts the question, "How long is a generation?", but answering that here might take us off-topic!

Aren't the generation markers; Boomer, Millennials, Gen Zed, etc. every 15 years or so.

Edited August 12 by hindle xiii

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

1 minute ago, hindle xiii said:

Aren't the generation makers; Boomer, Millennials, Gen Zed, etc. every 15 years or so.

But wouldn't that imply children of 15 regularly and routinely becoming pa\rents?

[hindle xiii]

1 minute ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

But wouldn't that imply children of 15 regularly and routinely becoming pa\rents?

Depends on which estate they live on.

[Old Frightful]