Media Quotes
I’m an astronomy journalist and author specialising in eclipses, astronomy and space exploration. To help journalists working to deadline, I’ve compiled a selection of up-to-date quotes that may be reproduced free of charge in editorial coverage.
These quotations may be used in print, online, radio and television news coverage with attribution to:
Jamie Carter, editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com, eclipse expert for New Scientist Discovery Tours and author of Complete Guide to the Total Solar Eclipse 2027: ‘Eclipse of the Century’.
I’m 50 years old, live in Cardiff, Wales and have seen 8 total solar eclipses on 5 continents.
I recommend Absolute Eclipse solar eclipse glasses.
If you want exact times for the eclipse for ANY location, put your location into TimeAndDate.com
Here is a free map from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio.
Quotes about the UK solar eclipse on 12 August:
“This will be the deepest partial eclipse in the U.K. since 2015 and until 2081 — but it’s not a total solar eclipse, so it won’t get dark. Totality is only for those within a narrow path through Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain.”
“Cornwall will see almost 96% of the sun eclipsed, while Scotland will see 90%, but you don’t need to travel for this — everyone in the UK will get a very similar view.”
“There are two key things to remember — you’ll need solar eclipse glasses and a clear view to the west because the eclipse happens relatively close to sunset.”
“The eclipse happens between about 18:15 and 20:00, but the most impressive time will be about 19:10 when the eclipse peaks and you’ll see a ‘sad face’ crescent sun.”
“Certified solar eclipse glasses or a safe solar filter are essential throughout the event. Unlike observers in Spain, Iceland and Greenland, UK viewers will never experience totality, so it is never safe to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection.”
“A few hours after the eclipse ends, the Perseid meteor shower will begin to peak. You might see meteors — fast-moving streaks of light — as soon as it gets dark, but the best time to look will be about 02:00 am on Thursday, Aug. 13, when you might see as many as 50 per hour. The darker your location, the more you’ll see, but some Perseids can be really bright.”
Quotes about eclipse chasing:
“If you want to see a total solar eclipse — which is a million times more impactful than a partial eclipse — go to the tip of southern Spain on 2 August, 2027. That will be the last time there’s a total solar eclipse anywhere near Europe for decades.”
Quotes about the solar eclipse on 12 August in Spain:
“The biggest thing many first-time eclipse chasers don’t realise is that this is a sunset eclipse (only in Spain). Even if you’re inside the path of totality, a mountain, ridge, trees or even buildings could block the eclipsed sun. I’d strongly recommend that people should check the northwest horizon carefully before choosing a viewing spot. It’s probably the biggest mistake people could make. Eclipse chasers are using The Eclipse App, Eclipse Horizon Checker and the Instituto Geográfico Nacional to check for a clear view.”
Best places for the solar eclipse on 12 August in Spain, Iceland and Greenland:
Castile and León (Burgos, Palencia and Valladolid) — (up to about 1 minute 45 seconds at 8:28 p.m. CEST)
Ebro Delta, east coast Spain — 8:30 p.m. CEST; 1 minute, 30 seconds
S’Arenal Beach, Mallorca — 8:31 p.m. CEST; 1 minute, 36 seconds
The Government of the Balearic Islands and AstroMallorca have launched Horizonte Eclipse 2026, a free tool to determine whether totality will be visible from any specific location.
Reykjavík, Iceland: 5:48 p.m. GMT; 57 seconds
The capital city has plans for viewing areas along the southwest coast, lots of tips and maps on Eclipse2026.is.
Scoresby Sund, East Greenland: 4:35 p.m. EGST; 2 minutes, 16 seconds
About 15 expedition cruise ships full of eclipse chasers are heading for the world’s largest fjord system for its dramatic scenery.
What exactly is a solar eclipse?
“A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun and completely covers the sun’s bright surface. That precision is possible because the sun and the moon appear to us to be almost exactly the same size in our sky.”
“A total eclipse only happens for a few minutes, called totality, but it’s an extraordinary experience. Day turns to night in seconds, temperatures drop, and the sun’s faint corona — its spiky white outer atmosphere — becomes visible as a halo around the moon’s silhouette. Although eclipse glasses are needed to see the partial eclipse phases before and after totality, it’s perfectly safe to look at the totally eclipsed sun with the naked eye — in fact, that’s the entire attraction of eclipse chasing.”
“What most people don’t understand is that the effect can only be experienced from within a 180-mile-wide path of totality, which is why people travel long distances to stand in exactly the right place. Surrounding regions see an eclipse-glasses-only partial eclipse in which the moon covers only part of the sun — in this case, most of Europe, Canada and a few U.S. states.”
Why they’re so special:
“I often get a knot in my stomach when the sun suddenly disappears, some kind of primeval fear, I suppose. Totality is such a weird thing to see and feel — it often makes people cry. It’s like standing on another planet looking at a completely different star.”
“A total solar eclipse comes to any particular location only every few centuries on average, so for most people it’s effectively a once- or twice-in-a-lifetime experience. That’s why so many people are prepared to travel, but also why there’s always a lot of confusion.”
“The travel industry is currently obsessed with astrotourism as a new trend, but eclipse chasing isn’t a new phenomenon. People have travelled to witness total solar eclipses for centuries, but the hobby has exploded in popularity following the hugely successful North American total solar eclipses of 2017 and 2024, which introduced millions of people to totality for the first time.”
Quotes about the total solar eclipse on 2 August, 2027 (Eclipse of the Century)
“This year’s eclipse is spectacular in its own right, but it’s also the prelude to what’s already being called the “eclipse of the century” on 2 August 2027, when totality will last up to 6 minutes 23 seconds in Luxor, Egypt — the capital of ancient Egypt, and home to the Nile, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. It will be the longest totality until 2114.”
These quotes are provided for editorial use. Please attribute them to Jamie Carter. They may be edited for length provided their meaning is not altered.
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