A warning has been issued to people across Wales hoping to experience a rare solar eclipse on Wednesday. On August 12, Britain is set to see a major solar eclipse, the likes of which haven't been seen in a generation.
This Wednesday's eclipse will be the biggest solar eclipse seen from the UK since 1999, with the moon covering between 90% and 96% of the sun, depending on where you are. The moon will block as much as 96% of the sun, causing the sky to become eerily dim. There won't be another partial eclipse with this much coverage until 2050.
Timing and Visibility in Wales
In Wales, the partial solar eclipse will be visible from 6.13pm until 8.06pm, beginning when the sun first starts to take a bite of the moon and ending when the moon completely leaves the sun's path just before sunset. The solar coverage will vary around the UK but Cardiff's peak obscuration time is set to be 7.13pm when 93.24% of the sun is expected to be covered.
Health Warning on Eye Safety
However, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which covers public health issues, has warned those hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare solar phenomenon that not taking the correct measures could cause permanent damage to your eyesight. Due to the fact that the sun appears dimmer than usual during an eclipse, it becomes easier to look directly at it which means people can lose their natural reflex to look away from the sun and instead allow intense sunlight to damage their retina.
It is particularly dangerous because the damage happens without causing any pain meaning people often only realise the severity of the harm once its too late. The UKHSA said that after the 1999 total solar eclipse, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists reported around 70 cases of people experiencing vision problems after watching the eclipse. Around 40% of these people had looked at it for less than a minute.
Safe Viewing Methods
It's important to note that ordinary sunglasses do not provide adequate protection as they will still allow harmful radiation to reach the retina. Instead, if you want to watch the solar eclipse safely you must use specialist eclipse viewers, or indirect viewing methods.
People can use genuine eclipse glasses with specially designed filters that meet the international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E), or handheld solar viewers. You must however make sure they are certified and not scratched, torn, or damaged. If you would prefer to watch it without any specialist equipment you will have to opt for an indirect viewing method.
This can include using a pinhole viewer, which you can easily make at home, viewing the sun's image projected through a colander or the gaps between tree leaves, or projecting the sun's image onto a sheet of paper using a simple pinhole projector.
