A partial solar eclipse will be visible in the United Kingdom on Wednesday — the country's most significant such event since 1999 — while a total eclipse will be observable in parts of Spain, Greenland and Iceland. Eclipse glasses are reportedly sold out in many shops, with some online orders not expected to arrive until after the event. The Royal Astronomical Society warns that looking directly at the Sun without specialist eyewear, including through sunglasses or dark goggles, can cause serious eye damage due to insufficient UV protection.
UK Partial Solar Eclipse on Wednesday: Household Items Offer Safe Viewing Alternatives
A partial solar eclipse will be visible in the United Kingdom on Wednesday — the country's most significant such event since 1999 — while a total eclipse will be observable in parts of Spain, Greenland and Iceland. Eclipse glasses are reportedly sold out in many shops, with some online orders not expected to arrive until after the event. The Royal Astronomical Society warns that looking directly at the Sun without specialist eyewear, including through sunglasses or dark goggles, can cause serious eye damage due to insufficient UV protection.
The Royal Astronomical Society recommends building a pinhole projector using a piece of card and a blank sheet of paper. A small hole is made in the centre of the card using the tip of a ballpoint pen. The user faces away from the Sun, holding the card in one hand and the paper in the other, and aligns them until an image of the Sun appears on the paper.
A kitchen colander can function in a similar way to a pinhole projector. David Jones, a consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, describes this as his preferred viewing method. According to Jones, holding the colander toward the Sun while facing away projects multiple simultaneous images of the Sun onto a piece of paper held behind the colander.
A more enclosed option involves constructing a pinhole viewer from an empty cardboard box, aluminium foil, and paper. A sheet of paper is fixed to the inside bottom of the box to act as a screen. A small square is cut in the top of the box as a viewing hole for one eye, and on the other half of the top, a square covered with foil is prepared with a pinhole through the foil. The user stands with their back to the Sun, looks through the open square, and aligns the foil pinhole with the Sun to see a projected image of the eclipse.
NASA advises against filming the eclipse with a mobile phone without a solar filter, stating that phone camera sensors can be damaged by direct exposure to the Sun, particularly when a magnifying lens attachment is in use.
The partial eclipse will be visible in the UK and mainland Europe in the evening on Wednesday, placing the Sun low in the sky. The Royal Astronomical Society recommends finding an elevated position with a clear view of the western horizon for a better sighting.
- The exact time or duration of the partial eclipse in the UK is not specified
- The percentage of the Sun that will be obscured during the partial eclipse in the UK is not stated
- The specific regions of the UK where the eclipse will be most visible are not identified
- No information is provided on where viewers in Spain, Greenland, or Iceland can watch the total eclipse
- The source does not confirm whether any live streams or public viewing events are planned
- No detail is given on how much of the Sun will be covered during the total eclipse in the affected countries