Get out your glasses: Special shades
like this are a good bet for watching Britain's first great eclipse this
century, with the next partial eclipse of this magnitude not set to
take place until 2026
Who turned the lights out!
Shortly
after 8am next Friday, the skies above Britain will start to grow dim.
At first, the change will be slight, but little more than an hour later
about nine-tenths of the Sun will be blocked out.
Not until nearly 11am will the Sun finally be restored to its full glory.
The
event taking place will, of course, be a solar eclipse, when the Moon
passes between the Sun and the Earth and casts a deep shadow over the
Earth’s surface.
It will affect the entire country as the eclipse travels from the Isles of Scilly and all the way north to the Orkneys.
Unlike in 1999, none of the UK will be covered by a total eclipse. Instead, we will witness only a partial eclipse.
The
total eclipse will be taking place over the North Atlantic — it will
start from a spot 400 miles south of Greenland, skirt the south of
Iceland, pass over the Faroe Islands and the Norwegian territory of
Svalbard, and finish over the North Pole.
But
even though we will not be plunged into total darkness, the effect
should still be spectacular —especially if the skies are cloudless.
With
the next partial eclipse of this magnitude not taking place over
Britain until August 12, 2026, and the next total eclipse not happening
in our skies until 2090, Friday marks an incredibly rare opportunity to
witness a phenomenon that has been a source of wonder and fascination
for centuries.
What's the best way to view it?
You should never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye, even if it is largely obscured.
Don’t
be tempted, either, to wear just sunglasses or welder’s glasses, no
matter how strong the UV protection. However, there are numerous ways to
view the eclipse without going blind in the process:
Eclipse glasses:
There are many available online, on sites such as Amazon and eBay, and
they typically cost less than £10. Whether they are safe is another
matter, and even if you are wearing them, do exercise caution, and
perhaps still refrain from looking directly at the sun.
It is best to consult a telescope or camera shop, which should have stocked up with suitable glasses.
Camera:
It is only possible to use a camera safely if you have a solar filter
mounted or have securely attached a solar filter sheet to the front of
the lens.
Sheets are available for about £20 at online stores such as Amazon, and should also be available at camera shops.
Colander: No,
that’s not a misprint. If you hold an ordinary kitchen colander up to
the Sun and cast the colander’s shadow onto a light surface, such as a
white piece of card held about 20 in away, you will notice that the
holes project an image of the Sun complete with a corresponding chunk
taken out of it by the Moon.
This is a fun and safe way to watch the eclipse without having to look directly at the Sun.
Bucket of water:
This is perhaps the simplest method — fill a bucket with water and look
at the Sun’s reflection on the surface. To make it appear more
dramatic, line the bucket with a black bin liner.
Binoculars or telescope:
Though you should never use binoculars or a telescope for looking at
the Sun, you can still use them to watch an eclipse. After setting them
up on a stand or tripod, point them towards the Sun — without looking
through — until the light from the Sun is cast directly down their
length and out through the eyepiece.
Then,
place a piece of white card or paper behind the eyepiece, and an image
of the Sun will appear. To bring it into focus, use the ring on your
binoculars or telescope, or adjust the distance of the card.
Basic pinhole projector:
Take two pieces of plain white paper or card and, with a drawing pin or
similar, make a neat round hole in the middle of one sheet. When the
eclipse is taking place, hold the paper with the hole in it towards the
Sun and project the light onto the second sheet by holding it behind the
first.
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