Scores of eclipse hunters turned out across East Devon on Wednesday evening, August 12, as the moon blocked out the sun. People across the UK witnessed a partial eclipse, the most significant since the total eclipse visible in parts of Devon and Cornwall in 1999.
In Sidmouth, hundreds gathered at Peak Hill to watch the spectacle over the sea. Photographer Simon Horn was among them and captured unique images of the once-in-a-generation event, including the start of the 2026 partial eclipse from Peak Hill. Some eclipse hunters in safety specs were among those watching.
Eclipse glasses sold out across the UK and became impossible to buy, so many people used inventive makeshift alternatives. Kitchens were raided for colanders and cereal boxes, which were turned into pinhole viewers and projectors. Eye experts repeatedly warned of the dangers of staring directly at the sun.
After weeks of cloudless skies, much of the partial eclipse was obscured in parts of East Devon. It was not as badly hidden as the 1999 spectacle, which in Devon mostly took place behind thick cloud. In Broadclyst, East Devon, the natural show was visible when the clouds parted. It slowly got darker as the moon moved between the earth and the sun, with more than 90 per cent of the sun covered.
The sun narrowed to a sliver of gold before slowly emerging again. Birds began singing and the evening light returned. The next solar eclipse visible in the UK will be in 2090, 64 years from now.
East Devon Eclipse Watchers Capture Rare Solar Spectacle