The UK will be able to see part of the Sun ‘disappear’
The UK will be able to see part of the Sun ‘disappear’
On Saturday a partial solar eclipse will be visible from the UK. During a partial solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. The Moon casts a shadow on Earth and only partly blocks the Sun, making it appear like a crescent.
The upcoming eclipse follows the lunar eclipse which caused a ‘Blood Moon’ earlier on in the month. It is often the case that eclipses come in pairs. This usually happens within about two weeks, due to the Moon’s orbital tilt.
While the UK will only be able to witness a partial solar eclipse on March 29, certain parts of North America and Greenland may witness up to 90% of the Sun obscured. The Sun will appear like a crescent, as if a piece has been taken out of it.
NASA has outlined the top tips for safely viewing a solar eclipse of any kind. They state: “Everyone watching the eclipse must use proper eye protection or an indirect viewing method to protect their eyes.”
As the Sun is never completely covered, observers must use proper eye protection at all times while watching this eclipse. The space agency says: “When watching a partial solar eclipse directly with your eyes, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses.”
They have also warned against looking at the cosmic event with a camera lens, telescope, binoculars or any other type of optical device, with or without eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer.
The reason stargazers must avoid magnifying the view is because “the concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury.” A special-purpose solar filter must be attached to the front of any telescope, binoculars, camera lens, or other optics to observe the Sun safely.
For those who do not have eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer (most of us), there are still easy methods you can adopt to make the most of the astronomical event. One way is to use a pinhole projector, which has a small opening (for example, a hole punched in an index card) and projects an image of the Sun onto a nearby surface.
However, NASA writes “Do NOT look at the Sun through the pinhole!” If you have the correct eyewear, during partial solar eclipses, or any day, even when there’s no eclipse at all, you can sometimes see sunspots on the Sun while wearing eclipse glasses or using safe solar filters.
Sunspots are temporary, cooler, darker regions on the Sun’s surface caused by intense magnetic field activity, appearing as dark spots and are indicators of solar activity.
When can people in the UK and Ireland see the partial solar eclipse?
NASA has detailed when the partial eclipse will begin, the time of its maximum and when the spectacle will end in the UK and Ireland. They have also shared a coverage percentage of how much the sun will be obscured.
London
Partial begins: 10.07am
Maximum: 11:03am
Coverage: 31%
Partial ends: 12pm
Dublin
Partial begins: 10.01am
Maximum: 11:00am
Coverage: 41%
Partial ends: 12pm