How to stay safe during the solar eclipse

By Abi Simpson

People across the United Kingdom will experience the first major solar eclipse since 1999 tomorrow morning.  Here's some tips for watching it safely. 

Obviously the best way to watch the eclipse would be through professional equipment, but not all of us can afford the latest tech.  Here are some cheaper ways of staying safe.

Solar eclipse glasses                           Photo by: Joaquin Souryis

Solar Eclipse Glasses:
The best, safest and cheapest way of watching the eclipse tomorrow would be through special eclipse viewing glasses, These are available on Ebay although you may have to spend quite a lot of money, they are also being given away free with issues of the BBC's Sky at Night magazine.

Kitchen Colander:
Yes, that's right you can watch the solar eclipse through your kitchen colander.  Simply stand with your back to the sun, hold the colander in one hand and put a piece of paper behind it.  The holes in the colander will project lots of shadows of the eclipse onto the paper.

Pinhole Viewer:
Hold up a piece of card with a pinhole in it, and stand with your back to the sun.  Hold a piece of white paper or card, behind the one with a pinhole in it.  The image of the eclipse will be projected by the sun through the pinhole onto the piece of paper.

Photo by: NASA's Marshall Flight Center 

Whichever method you use, it's important to stay safe during tomorrow's eclipse.  Contrary to rumour, sunglasses will not protect your eyes from the eclipse, and should not be used as protection to stare at the sun.

Professionals are also warning that taking 'solar selfies' could cause blindness.  The sun emits radiation which can burn the retina of the eye, causing blindness.  So when taking your selfies tomorrow, avoid looking directly at the sun.  

The eclipse is expected to reach it's peak at 9:31, with a slight delay depending on where you are in the country.  The best eclipse is expected in Scotland.  However, with the weather forecast set as cloudy tomorrow, it could be that none of us will get to see as much as we would like.