On Wednesday, August 12, the UK will witness its most complete solar eclipse in 54 years, with more than 90 per cent of the Sun obscured by the Moon between 6.17pm and 8.06pm. This marks the most significant blockage above UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999.
Why sunglasses are not enough
The Royal Greenwich Observatory has cautioned that sunglasses are not a safe enough method to observe the spectacle. Imo Bell, a planetarium astronomer at the observatory, told the Press Association: "It's not a total eclipse, but over 90 per cent is really exciting. We're not going to get one this good for a really long time."
Bell emphasised the dangers: "So it's important not to miss it, and to be prepared. You can't just go out and expect to have a look because it's really dangerous for your eyes." She explained that solar eclipse glasses are very different from sunglasses: "They block out so much light that you can't see anything through them except the Sun, because that's how much light they need to block for the damaging light of the Sun to be safe to view."
Use a colander for safe viewing
As an alternative, Bell recommends projecting the eclipse through a household item: "If all else fails, you can project the image of the eclipse using a household item like a colander which has lots of holes in," she said. "Point the colander towards the Sun with your back facing it, and in the shadow of the colander you'll be able to see the eclipse in the holes, which is really cool."
The peak moment of coverage is anticipated to be at approximately 7.13pm. The next occasion the Moon will obscure this much of the Sun will not be until 2081, while the next total solar eclipse visible from the UK will not occur until 2090.
Best viewing conditions and locations
Bell advises finding a vantage point facing west with minimal buildings nearby. "It'll be a nice, long event which is really exciting. The Sun's going to be really quite close to the horizon because it will be setting at that point towards the western horizon," she said. "So it's really important that viewers from the UK find a good view of the western horizon and make sure their view of the Sun isn't blocked by any buildings or hills."
The Met Office said weather conditions in most of the country will be "more or less perfect" for eclipse viewing. A spokesperson said: "With clear skies forecast across much of the UK, conditions should be more or less perfect for many to experience the partial solar eclipse. The north and west of the country are most likely to struggle with cloud cover when viewing the eclipse on Wednesday evening, particularly across Northern Ireland and western Scotland. The rest of Scotland and northern England may also see a good deal of high-level cloud, making skies rather hazy. The best opportunities for viewing the eclipse are likely to be south of a line from Aberystwyth to Lincoln."
Meanwhile, Reykjavik in Iceland and Spanish cities A Coruna, Oviedo, Zaragoza, Bilbao and Valencia will witness a total eclipse on Wednesday, during which the Moon will completely obscure the Sun.
