Europe's first solar eclipse since 1999

Europe's first solar eclipse since 1999

August 12, 2026 · 9 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the upcoming solar eclipse in Europe, its rarity, and safety tips for viewing it.

Many parts of Europe will experience a solar eclipse, when the Moon blocks the light from the Sun, on Wednesday evening. It will be the first in Europe since 1999. Total eclipses are rare events but in the next few years, there will be a few. Following this summer's eclipse there will be a total eclipse in Egypt next August, and a third in Australia and New Zealand in July 2028. Looking directly at the Sun can damage your eyes, even during an eclipse. You can wear special eclipse glasses which block out most of the light so you can look at the Sun safely. Learn more about this story with Georgie and Becca. For more language learning tips head to bbclearningenglish.com. For subtitles and a worksheet for this episode head to https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2026/260812 Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest programmes https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599

People in this episode

Hosts: Georgie, Becca

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC Radio

Places: Europe, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand

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