On August 12th, we were treated to a wonderful solar eclipse.
Our Wonderdome presenters were among the thousands of people who witnessed this space spectacular.
So let’s take a look at the Wonderdome eclipse.
Helen H in Spain
Presenter Helen H went to Siguenza in Spain to observe the total eclipse.
This lovely sequence of photos were taken through her Seestar S30 Pro smart telescope.
The first Diamond Ring, close to totality
Totality – the wonderful Solar Corona
Total eclipse: taken on an iphone by Helen’s daughter Daisy, aged 13.
Lovely photo, Daisy!
The second Diamond Ring – totality ends.
Sunset in partial eclipse from Siguenza Castle.
Meanwhile, back in the UK, Helen’s friend Dean Coates took this photo.
Dean watched the eclipse at Abberton Reservoir Wildlife Park.
There 200 people attended a Tiptree stargazing event.
Dean took the image after maximum – and caught an aircraft joining the fun!
Matt W in Spain
Presenter Matt W was also in Spain, staying close to Valencia.
He observed the eclipse with his family near a town called Morella.
They climbed a hill and waited for the eclipse, still 3 hours away.
Over that time they were joined by some Americans and Frenchman with his grandchildren.
Matt reports:
” There was some hazy high cloud. The Sun dipped below it and right on cue, the eclipse started.
We viewed with our solar specs, then at 8.30pm the diamond ring appeared.
Then totality. The stunning corona flared.
We took off our specs to marvel at it.
All too soon (alas!) the Moon slid away and it was over.
Except that the Sun was still a crescent when it set.
Now it was safe to look at without the specs.
It was a dramatic end to an unforgettable day.”
Irina L in Rotherham, UK
Wonderdome presenter Irina L watched from Rotherham in South Yorkshire.
Her photos show what the partial eclipse looked like through those eclipse specs.
The Moon moving onto the Sun’s disc.
Maximum eclipse, around 90% of the Sun covered.
And Irina sent me a photo from a friend in Lille, France.
The photo shows the eclipse at around maximum, projected through leaf shadow.
Small gaps act like pinhole projectors so we see multiple images of the Sun. Lovely!
Tatiana in the UK
Another unusual image was captured by Wonderdome presenter Tatiana on the south coast.
Her photo shows seagulls flying over the sunset eclipse.
In the red lens flare, we can see the partially eclipsed Sun.
Tatiana used an iphone held at arm’s length.
Dennis in Sheffield
I saw the eclipse from the moors above Sheffield.
Like Matt we arrived a couple of hours before the event.
Like Matt, we were joined by other people – in their hundreds!
By the start of the eclipse, the road into Derbyshire was lined by cars.
Parked by the roadside, the line of cars stretched for miles.
And we were all rewarded with a perfectly clear sky.
I set up my Dwarf 3 smart telescope and recorded the partial eclipse.
The action began at around 6.10pm.
Here are a few of my photos.
The Moon moving over the Sun’s disc.
A crescent Sun.
Maximum eclipse.
A shared experience
Our partial eclipse could not compare with the magic of totality.
But it was great fun – because it was an event shared with other people.
I met Maria and a group of young ladies.
They used a colander to project eclipse images on to a card.
And it worked!
I did give them some eclipse specs as an alternative view.
Then I met a lady who didn’t need the specs.
She had a welder’s helmet and gave me my favourite photo of the evening!
If you saw the August eclipse, I hope that you had as much fun as the Wonderdome presenters.
If the experience has left you wanting an encore, here are some upcoming eclipse dates.
Future eclipses
Sadly there is no total eclipse in the UK for a while.
But here are dates and places to travel to witness this magical event.
2027, August 2nd: North Africa
Next year sees another eclipse for Spain.
This time it crosses the south of the country.
Then its path goes through Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt and on to Saudi Arabia.
2028, July 22nd: Australia
This will be the Great Australian eclipse.
Totality crosses a swathe of Australia and on to New Zealand.
The total eclipse will be seen in Sydney.
It will be the first to be viewed there since 1857 and the last until 2858!
2030, November 25th: Southern Africa
This one is an African eclipse.
The Moonshadow will traverse Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
2033, March 30th: Alaska
This eclipse is one I would love to see.
It crosses Alaska, one of my favourite places in the world.
Totality will bee seen in Nome and Utquiavik, both places I have visited in the past.
Sadly I’ll be 90 years old then so it’s probably not for me.
But I hope that you will see a total eclipse one day.
Perhaps it will be one of these.
Next in the UK
The next total solar eclipse in the UK will be on 23rd September – in the year 2090.
I’m certainly not counting on seeing that one!
The author: Dennis Ashton, MBE, is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a Wonderdome presenter.
In 2024, Dennis received the Special Contribution award from the British Association of Planetaria.
In 2025 he became a Member of the Order of the British Empire for over 50 years work in Astronomy Education.
WonderDome: Leading the Way in Mobile Planetariums
WonderDome offers a fully immersive experience, taking you on a journey through the cosmos. Perfect for all ages and abilities. We now boast a team of 15 presenters, located all over the UK, establishing us as the largest – and best – mobile planetarium organisation in the UK.
Stay Connected for Astronomy News and Events Follow WonderDome mobile planetarium on Twitter / X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to stay up to date on the latest news, shows and offers. Or visit our website at wonderdome.co.uk.
WonderDome is part of the Service4Education Group
