Solar eclipse 2021 time: ‘Ring of fire’ appears over the UK

A “ring of fire” solar eclipse has appeared over the UK.

The celestial sight – strictly a partial annular solar eclipse – began around 10am UK time. It will reach its maximum at about 11.10am and then finish around 12.20.

Precise timings will depend on the location within the UK, and events happen slightly sooner on the west of the country compared with the east. But they are only different by a few minutes, and the eclipse has now begun across all of the country.

The eclipse is an “annular” eclipse, with the relative positions of the Moon meaning that it only partially covers the Sun. Even in the places where the eclipse is most extreme, not all of the Sun will be covered up, leaving a blazing circle around its edge.

In the UK, however, the eclipse does not even mean that: the Moon will only cross over the top of the Sun, leaving it looking something like a rotated Pac-Man or a biscuit with a bite taken out of the top.

:: Follow our live coverage of the eclipse here