UK Braces for Rare Solar Eclipse on Wednesday
Over 90% of the sun will be obscured, with Plymouth seeing 94.66% coverage; safety warnings issued for direct viewing.
Sarah Connor
The UK will witness a significant solar eclipse on Wednesday, with over 90% of the sun obscured by the moon.
The celestial event will span approximately one hour and 50 minutes, commencing around 18:20 BST and concluding by 20:10 BST.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued a stark warning: looking directly at the sun without protection risks permanent eyesight damage. The agency claims the sun will appear dimmer than usual, making it easier to stare at directly, which could result in severe ocular harm.
Regular sunglasses offer insufficient protection for viewing this cosmic phenomenon, the Royal Greenwich Observatory confirms. Imo Bell, an expert, emphasized the danger, stating, "You can’t just go out and expect to have a look because it’s really dangerous for your eyes."
You can’t just go out and expect to have a look because it’s really dangerous for your eyes.
Bell further advised, "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." Eclipse glasses must carry an ISO 12312-2 safety rating and originate from a reputable retailer to ensure proper safeguarding.
Indirect viewing offers a safe alternative, achievable through the shadow of a tree or a pinhole projector. Bell also suggested, "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."
The Royal Observatory in Greenwich will live stream the event for those unable to view it directly. Ms Bell noted, "We might notice the sky getting a little bit dark, so if you’re looking safely, it’ll look a bit like the moon is taking a bite out of the sun, you’ll see something that looks a bit like a crescent sun."
Animals may react as if night has fallen during the eclipse, with birds potentially singing a dawn chorus. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists reported approximately 70 cases of vision problems following the 1999 total solar eclipse.
The Met Office confirms the next time the moon obscures as much of the sun will occur in 2081. The UK will not experience its next total solar eclipse until 2090.