Solar eclipse glasses have sold out at retailers across the UK as thousands travel miles to secure a pair ahead of the most significant partial solar eclipse visible in Britain since 1999.
Retailers run out of stock
Convenience stores, national parks and the Royal Greenwich Observatory have all exhausted their supplies of eclipse glasses ahead of Wednesday's celestial spectacle, which will be the most impressive visible from the UK for another 54 years.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory revealed to the Press Association that they'd shifted approximately 15,000 pairs of eclipse glasses – completely selling out – in the space of just one month. Tickets for their special viewing event have also sold out, though they'll be offering a free live stream via their website and YouTube channel.
Shoppers travel far and wide
One convenience store in Whitechapel, London, has been turning away countless customers desperate to buy the specialist eyewear, with owner Ali Raza telling the Press Association that folk had been travelling from far and wide to secure a pair, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Mr Raza, who operates the AM2PM shop, said: "On Sunday we had people coming from Surrey, Southend-on-Sea, yesterday night a lady came from Southampton, and loads of people have come from Birmingham as well. We're too busy. Today I already sold 6,000 pairs. At 2.30am we had a delivery from Spain and by 9.30am we sold out everything."
Eclipse details and viewing advice
More than 90% of the sun will be hidden by the moon between 6.17pm and 8.06pm on 12 August – the most significant obscuration seen in the UK since the total eclipse in 1999. Devon, Cornwall and the far western parts of Pembrokeshire in Wales are set to enjoy the most spectacular views, with between 94% and 96% of the sun blocked out by the moon.
Officials at Exmoor National Park, in north Devon, told the Press Association they had seen "large numbers" of visitors flocking to the area to catch a glimpse of the eclipse. The park holds international dark sky reserve status and a spokesperson disclosed they "couldn't keep up with demand" for eclipse glasses.
They said: "We got to a point where we couldn't get any more from our supplier in time and we don't need them again, not until 2081. As a national park centre, we've seen an increase in visitors specifically to our centre looking for those glasses and to ask us where would be the best places to go and look at it. We advise people to go up to high moorlands or coastal headlands, or Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor, because you get an elevated view across to the west. We've sold over 300 pairs of glasses but we could've sold that twice over."
Exmoor is additionally hosting a now fully-booked guided walk setting off from the Hunters Inn pub, with participants taking in the spectacle from Highveer Point. At South Downs National Park, at least five astronomy groups are hosting events, with the eclipse followed by the annual Perseid meteor shower.
Weather and safety
The Met Office suggested that weather conditions across most of the country will be "more or less perfect" for watching the eclipse. A spokesperson told the Press Association: "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."
A planetarium astronomer at the observatory told the Press Association that appropriate eyewear is vital for safely viewing the eclipse, warning that ordinary sunglasses offer insufficient protection. Imo Bell noted that solar telescopes – including those being utilised at the observatory's sold-out viewing event – or common household items with perforations such as colanders offer practical ways of watching the eclipse, although eclipse glasses remain the most recommended choice.
She explained: "You can use solar eclipse glasses, which are very, 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. And 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 – 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."
Experts have warned that only specially designed solar eclipse glasses carrying ISO 12312-2 certification should be used for the safest viewing experience. Following the total solar eclipse in 1999, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists recorded around 70 cases of people experiencing vision problems after watching the event, with approximately 40% having watched it for less than a minute.
