We photographed our first partial solar eclipse back in March 2025, but the 2026 eclipse was on a completely different level. With up to 95% coverage from Cornwall and the chance to capture the full sequence above one of the most iconic locations in the UK, we knew we had to pull out all the stops. After a lot of planning, an 11-hour overnight drive and barely any sleep, we are so happy, relieved and honestly amazed that we managed to get the shot we were hoping for. We hope you love it as much as we do!
Our Celestial Adventure
The 2026 solar eclipse had been in our calendars for a very long time. We had originally dreamed of travelling to Iceland or Spain to witness totality, but with time and budget constraints we made the decision to head to Cornwall instead, giving us up to 95% coverage and, having photographed in the area before, we already knew it had the potential to provide a truly stunning backdrop for the eclipse.
We spent a lot of time planning exactly where we wanted to shoot the eclipse. We knew we needed a clear view of the western horizon as the Sun would be low in the sky during the event, and we wanted a stunning foreground to complement the eclipse sequence composite we had planned. When we chose our shooting spot near St Michael's Mount, we knew it had the potential to be something really special.
After an 11-hour overnight drive from home, picking up our friend Dan along the way, we arrived at our location with our mountain of equipment and began setting up. When we arrived, we were amazed at how beautiful it was, even more stunning than we had imagined. We had the entire place to ourselves at first, with glistening water, gentle waves crashing on the rocks, rock pools for Luna to explore, and a peaceful calm that made the whole experience feel even more magical. As the time of the eclipse approached, more and more people began to arrive to enjoy the event.
We spent quite a while setting up our equipment. Unfortunately our solar telescope with our dedicated astronomy camera failed to work on the day, which was absolutely devastating, but we had plenty of backup methods and in the end we set up the solar telescope to observe the Sun visually instead, which turned out to be an incredible experience in itself. Through the eyepiece we observed several sunspots, a number of filaments, and a stunning prominence extending far out from the surface of the Sun.
Standing there to witness and photograph the eclipse was nothing short of unbelievable. We shared our solar glasses with the people around us and let everyone have a look through our solar telescope too. The atmosphere was absolutely magical. As greatest eclipse approached and up to 95% of the Sun disappeared behind the Moon, the light took on an eerie, otherworldly quality unlike anything we had ever experienced. The temperature dropped, the shadows changed, and the whole world felt different for those few extraordinary minutes. And then, as the Moon slowly began to uncover the Sun once more and the light gradually returned, it was like waking up from a dream as the world came back to life around you, almost as if nature itself had been holding its breath. It was such an indescribable and incredible experience.
Following the eclipse, we were treated to a stunning sunset and beautiful views of Venus glowing over St Michael's Mount in the twilight sky. It was so beautiful that we sent our drone up above the sea to capture some footage and Luna had a wonderful time chasing it across the grass afterwards! 🐾
After packing everything away it was straight back to the van and on to our next planned location to capture the Milky Way above St Michael's Mount, along with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. It was absolutely mind-blowing to see it all come together. We stayed out capturing meteors until 4am before beginning the long journey home, around 19 hours in total, with a few petrol and rest stops along the way.
1,000 miles. 30+ hours of travelling. Barely any sleep. But we were so happy to have experienced such a magical once-in-a-generation event and come home with the images we captured and despite being incredibly exhausted throughout, we would do it all again in a heartbeat. 🌑✨
Our Photograph of the 2026 Solar Eclipse Above St Michael's Mount
In this photograph, you can see the complete sequence of the 2026 solar eclipse as it travelled across the sky above the sea and St Michael's Mount, Cornwall. The composite is made from 40 individual images taken at 3-minute intervals throughout the entire eclipse, from first contact all the way through to last contact, showing every phase of the eclipse as the Moon gradually covered and then uncovered the Sun. The deep red and orange tones of the setting Sun in the lower frames gradually give way to the brighter crescent phases higher in the sky, tracing a beautiful arc across the frame.
Blended with the eclipse sequence is a single image of the three of us, Nicole, Simon and our friend Dan, silhouetted on the rocks, watching this once-in-a-generation event unfold above the sea, with the iconic outline of St Michael's Mount visible on the horizon below the eclipse arc.
We hope you love this image as much as we do. 😊
The full sequence of the 2026 Solar eclipse captured above St Michaels Mount, Cornwall
📷 Camera: Nikon Z7II
🔭 Lens: Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM with Megadap ETZ adapter
☀️ Solar filter: Daystar Universal Solar Filter
🎛 Settings: eclipse sequence: 40 x 1/40s exposures, f/16, ISO 800, taken at 3-minute intervals
🎛 Settings: foreground: 1/500s, f/16, ISO 800 (no solar filter)
More Images Coming Soon!
The 24mm composite is just the first of several images we captured on this incredible adventure. We also shot the eclipse with a 50mm and a 600mm lens capturing the phases of the eclipse in much greater detail, we have the Milky Way above St Michael's Mount still to process, and several Perseid meteor shower timelapses from the peak night of the shower too. We can't wait to share them all with you once we've had time to work through everything, so watch this space! ✨🌌🌑
What Else Is in the Night Sky Throughout August?
If you would like to know more about the rest of the incredible celestial events taking place throughout August, including the upcoming partial lunar eclipse on the 28th, please head to our August Night Sky Guide on our website, or watch our Night Sky Guide video for August 2026 on our YouTube channel @AstroDogUK. If you head over to YouTube, please do subscribe to make sure you never miss any celestial events!
Share Your Experiences and Photographs!
We always love hearing about your celestial adventures and seeing your photographs! If you headed out to witness or photograph the 2026 solar eclipse, the Perseids, or anything else in the night sky, please share your stories and photos in the comments below, we would absolutely love to see them! 😊
Wishing You All Clear Skies!
We hope you love the photograph we captured on this truly unforgettable adventure. As always, we wish you all clear skies and thank you so much for all your wonderful support! 💖✨🌑
