Spectacular Solar Eclipse Will Be Visible Across Sefton on Wednesday – Here’s Exactly When to Watch

People across Sefton are in for a spectacular sight on Wednesday 12th August 2026, when a major solar eclipse takes place – and our position on the Merseyside coast could provide some fantastic views if the weather is kind to us.

Residents in Southport, Ainsdale, Formby, Crosby, Hightown, Bootle, Maghull, Aintree, Lydiate and communities across Sefton will be able to see a deep partial solar eclipse as the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun.

The event will take place during the early evening, with the eclipse visible for almost two hours.

What time will the eclipse be visible in Sefton?

The timings across Sefton will vary by only a very small amount depending on your exact location, but for the Merseyside area the eclipse is expected to unfold at approximately:

6:13pm – Eclipse begins

The Moon will begin to move across the face of the Sun. At first, it will look as though a small “bite” has been taken from the edge of the Sun.

7:10pm – Maximum eclipse

This is the moment you’ll want to watch for. The greatest proportion of the Sun will be covered by the Moon and the eclipse will be at its most impressive.

8:04pm – Eclipse ends

The Moon will gradually move away from the Sun and the eclipse will come to an end.

That gives us approximately one hour and 51 minutes of eclipse viewing across Merseyside.

Sefton’s coastline could provide some fantastic viewing spots.

Because Wednesday’s eclipse happens in the evening, the Sun will be relatively low in the western sky. That could make Sefton’s coastline particularly well placed.

Weather permitting, open areas around #Southport, #Ainsdale, #Formby, #Hightown and #Crosby could provide excellent views towards the western horizon.

Of course, there is one thing no astronomer can guarantee – the Great British weather!

Cloud cover could determine just how much we’re able to see, so we’ll all be keeping our fingers crossed for a clear Wednesday evening.

What will we actually see?

The eclipse on Wednesday is a total solar eclipse, but Sefton isn’t situated within the narrow path where the Sun will be completely covered.

Instead, we will experience a very impressive partial solar eclipse.

As the Moon moves in front of the Sun, an increasingly large section of the Sun will disappear from view.

At maximum eclipse at around 7:10pm, the Sun will appear as a striking crescent before the Moon gradually moves away again.

Elsewhere, people within the path of totality – including parts of Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain – will see the Moon completely cover the Sun.

For a brief period in those locations, daylight will dramatically fade and the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, will become visible.

Why does an eclipse happen?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun.

One of the extraordinary coincidences of our solar system makes total solar eclipses possible.

The Sun is approximately 400 times wider than the Moon, but it is also roughly 400 times further away from Earth.

As a result, when viewed from Earth, the Sun and Moon appear remarkably similar in size.

When their paths line up perfectly, the Moon can therefore appear to cover the enormous Sun.

⚠️ VERY IMPORTANT: NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN

If you’re planning to watch Wednesday’s eclipse, please take eye safety extremely seriously.

Never look directly at the Sun with your naked eyes, even during an eclipse and even when most of the Sun appears to be covered.

Looking directly at the Sun can damage the retina at the back of the eye and potentially cause permanent sight loss.

Ordinary sunglasses are NOT safe for viewing a solar eclipse, regardless of how dark they are.

If you want to look directly at the eclipse, you should use genuine eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers specifically designed for viewing the Sun and which meet the appropriate ISO 12312-2 safety standard.

Never look at the Sun through binoculars, a telescope or a camera lens unless the equipment has the correct specialist solar filter fitted.

Magnifying equipment concentrates the Sun’s rays and can cause severe eye damage extremely quickly.

Families can also consider indirect methods of viewing the eclipse, where an image of the Sun is projected onto another surface rather than looking directly towards it.

Put Wednesday evening in your diary

So, if the clouds stay away, Wednesday 12th August could provide Sefton with one of the most memorable sights in our skies for years.

🌒 Eclipse begins: approximately 6:13pm

🌒 Maximum eclipse: approximately 7:10pm

🌒 Eclipse ends: approximately 8:04pm

From Southport and Ainsdale down through Formby, Crosby and Bootle, look towards the western sky and enjoy what promises to be an incredible astronomical spectacle.

Just remember the most important rule of all:

Enjoy the eclipse, but never look directly at the Sun without proper solar viewing protection.