Cosmic Spectacle
SOLAR ECLIPSE & METEOR SHOWER SPECIAL
Join us at one of the highest, darkest vaster points in the South West for a once-in-a-generation double astronomical event. Standing well up high on Exmoor, we have the ultimate front-row seat to the cosmos.
A celestial wonder
This incredible double header starts with a rare solar eclipse just before the sun sets over the moor. Then, an incredible show; by pure cosmic luck, the same night is a new moon—meaning 100% pitch-black skies. From our high-altitude dark sky sanctuary,
look Northeast to witness 50 to 80 shooting stars per hour blazing across the heavens with long, fiery tails.
ECLIPSE: 18.00 UNTIL SUNSET 20.08
COMMUNAL CAMPFIRE SUNSET & TWILIGHT
METEOR SHOWER: 23.00 UNTIL SUNRISE
What to bring
To View: Reclining deck chairs or thick ground mats to lie on and look up (save your neck!).
To Wear: High-moorland winter layers (it gets very cold on the peaks after dark).
To See: Red-light torches only (to protect our night vision).
To Enjoy: Your favourite warm flasks and camp snacks.
Book here to secure your spot on the ridge line. Space on the moor is unlimited, but the memories are once-in-a-lifetime!
Eclipse only (car/ foot visitors): £10
Full night celestial camping, eclipse & meteor shower: £30
Please arrive no later than 6pm so everyone can enjoy the eclipse
MORE INFO...
The next two solar eclipses (less complete than this one) in UK will be in 2053, 2082, and 2090, but they will NOT coincide with a new moon night!
Location: The High Moorlands, Exmoor (Exmoor Blueberries Camping) | Altitude: 1,173 Feet
In Europe’s FIRST Dark Sky Reserve (no light pollution!)
Date: Wednesday, 12th August 2026 | Time: 6:00 PM BST until Late
ACT I: THE GREAT BRITISH ECLIPSE18:17 – 20:08)
Watch the day turn to an eerie twilight as the moon blocks a staggering 93.2% of the sun. At exactly 19:14 BST, the maximum deep crescent sun will hang perfectly framed just one hand-width above our western ridge line.
Note: Certified ISO solar eclipse glasses are mandatory for this segment!
Make sure to buy them before you come!
INTERMISSION: THE TWILIGHT DROPDOWN
As the sun sinks behind the hills, the temperature on the moor will drop. We will swap our eclipse glasses for blankets, hot flasks, and campfires as we let our eyes adapt to the deep Exmoor dark.
ACT II: THE PERSEID METEOR PEAK (MIDNIGHT – DAWN)
This isn't just any meteor shower. By pure cosmic luck, tonight is a New Moon—meaning 100% pitch-black skies. From our high-altitude dark sky sanctuary, look Northeast to witness 50 to 80 shooting stars per hour blazing across the
heavens with long, fiery tails.
The Twilight to Darkness Timeline (12 August 2026)
20:25 BST (Ridge Sunset): The sun drops behind a 1,273 ft ridge line. The sky immediately softens into a warm golden hour.
21:04 BST (Civil Twilight Ends): The sun has dipped 6° below the flat horizon. The bright evening blues fade out. The first-magnitude navigation stars (like Vega and Arcturus) will snap into view directly overhead.
21:52 BST (Nautical Twilight Ends): The sun is now 12° below the horizon. The sky turns a deep, dark ink blue. The horizon line becomes difficult to distinguish against the land. The Milky Way will start to reveal itself as a pale, smoky band splitting the sky from Northeast to Southwest.
22:45 BST (Astronomical Darkness Begins): � The sun drops past 18° below the horizon. The sky is now 100% pitch black.
When to Start your Meteor Watch
22:45 BST (The Early Birds): This is your official cue to turn off all campfires, lanterns, and white-light torches. Give your eyes a full 20 minutes to adjust to the total darkness. You will immediately start seeing the first bright Perseid
'earthgrazers'—meteors that skim across the top of the atmosphere, leaving long, slow trails.
01:00 AM to 04:00 AM (The Peak Window): The constellation Perseus climbs high into the Northeast, entirely clear of any low atmospheric haze. This is when the shower hits maximum velocity, dropping more than one meteor per minute (80 - 100 per hour) across our completely dark Exmoor sky. Such perfect dark moon skies for the Perseids will next happen in 2029, but after that, not again till 2034! Just the new moon aspect is special, but (as mentioned at
the start above, the eclipse too – not in this century!! This is a truly uncommon opportunity!
EXMOOR BLUEBERRIES CAMPING is offering you a venue, where you can relax in wild open sky country with a tent or blanket/mat, and enjoy this unique night in a perfect setting. We have a flush loo facility, and there will be appropriate campfire warmth to enjoy.
Book your spot now!