Experts are warning people not to watch today's partial solar eclipse through their phone cameras, as it can damage both the device and the user's eyes. The eclipse will be visible in the UK this evening, and while special eclipse glasses are mostly sold out, there are safe alternatives.
Why you shouldn't use your phone
Boots told Metro that eclipse chasers should not watch through their phone screens, in line with advice from the College of Optometrists. Pointing either the back or front-facing phone camera at the sun for an extended period can also damage the device, according to Uswitch.
'Point an unfiltered lens at the sun, and you risk burning out the sensor, just as looking with the naked eye risks your vision,' says Jez Samuel, mobiles expert at Uswitch. 'A phone camera lens focuses sunlight into an intense point on the sensor behind it, and enough unfiltered exposure will kill pixels permanently. From then on, every shot carries the same dark marks.'
Getting a sun-burnt camera lens repaired can cost as much as £250.
Safe ways to watch
You can watch the eclipse indirectly with a DIY pinhole camera, which projects an image onto the ground. Also called a box projector, you need scissors, white paper, tape, tin foil, and a pin. Cut the paper to fit the bottom of the box as a projector screen, cut two holes on top, cover one with foil and punch a tiny hole in it, and use the other as an eyehole. Face away from the eclipse to see the projection.
Another free option is using your hands: place one hand over the other at a 90° angle, open your fingers slightly, and let sunlight stream through onto the ground. You can also use a colander, cheese grater, or look at light filtered through trees. Paper works too: poke a tiny hole in one sheet and hold it above another to act as a projector screen.
Livestreams and scam warnings
Your final option is to catch a livestream, such as on NASA or the Royal Museums Greenwich YouTube account. But be careful picking a website, as scammers are creating dodgy livestream sites to steal data, NordVPN tells Metro. Chief technology officer Marijus Briedis says that during the 2024 eclipse in North America, crooks made fake SpaceX livestreams featuring a deepfake Elon Musk. 'People should be suspicious if a supposedly free eclipse stream asks them to create an account, enter payment details, scan a QR code or download anything before they can watch,' Briedis added.
