Solar eclipse LIVE: ‘Ring of Fire’ phenomenon to hit in hours as people warned of ‘danger’

Yes, a solar eclipse is set to take place in the coming hours — and no, the UK won’t be seeing it.

But it’s not all bad news. Thanks to the rigid orbital dance between the Earth, Moon and Sun, more eclipses are guaranteed to follow. As famously put in The Simpsons: “A solar eclipse: the cosmic ballet goes on.”

The line was delivered by Star Trek star Leonard Nimoy during a guest appearance in the iconic season four episode Marge vs. the Monorail. He utters the quote just as the solar-powered monorail, wildly out of control, screeches to a halt — not quite how physics works in real life, but we digress.

The point is this: there will be others. And yes, we know what you’re asking — when?

Upcoming eclipses to add to your calendar

The next solar eclipse is due later this year and will be visible over the Balearic Islands, across central Spain, and stretching over the Atlantic west of Iceland and east of Greenland. The date to mark in your diary is August 12, 2026.

Almost a year later, on August 2, 2027, another eclipse will be visible as it sweeps across North Africa, the far south of Spain, and parts of Saudi Arabia. This one is particularly special. Already dubbed the “eclipse of the century”, it will be the longest eclipse visible from land since 1991, lasting an impressive six minutes and 22 seconds — if you happen to be 37 miles southeast of Luxor, Egypt, that is.

The third eclipse follows on July 22, 2028. Anyone keen to see this one may want to start saving up for a holiday now, as it will be visible in Australia and New Zealand. It will also mark the first solar eclipse visible from Sydney in 170 years — or, to put another way, the first since 1857.

So while Britons may miss out this time… and the next few times, there’s no shortage of wonder to be seen in the sky above us. Provided you’re willing to hop on a plane for a well-timed holiday, of course.

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/2171757/solar-eclipse-live-ring-of-fire