The UK is gearing up for a partial solar eclipse this week, as the Moon passes in front of the Sun, covering more than 90% of it in many parts of the country.
Due to take place on Wednesday 12th August, it's set to be the most complete social eclipse in 27 years.
“This is the best solar eclipse the UK has seen since 1999, and we won’t see another eclipse of this magnitude until 2081,” Jake Foster, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, previously told Country Living.
Solar eclipses tend to make us override our instinct not to stare at the sun, and without proper protection, eclipse gazers are risking their vision.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued advice on how to view the eclipse safely, saying that permanent damage can be done within seconds if precautions are not followed.
“During an eclipse, the sun appears dimmer than usual. This makes it easier to look at directly – and that's precisely the problem,” it said. “The reduced brightness can override the body's natural reflex to look away, allowing intense sunlight to reach and damage the retina.
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“This damage happens without causing any pain, so you may not realise harm is occurring until it's too late.”
Following the 1999 solar eclipse, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists reported about 70 cases of vision problems among viewers – and around 40% of these cases said they had looked at it for less than a minute.
With the big event taking place this week, here's what experts want you to know about solar eclipse glasses and eye safety during the big event, including the hidden danger that cameras, telescopes and binoculars present.
What kind of glasses do you need for a solar eclipse?
To view a solar eclipse safely, you need solar eclipse glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard. They should have the safety certification ‘ISO 12312-2' or ‘ISO 12312-2:2015’ printed somewhere on the glasses.
Do not look through ordinary shades, ISO-compliant solar eclipse glasses are about 100,000 times darker than typical sunglasses.
“When you put them on, you shouldn't even be able to see your hand in front of your face. They are not sunglasses or 3D glasses. Literally, the only thing you might see is a point light source, and you can barely see that if you look up at it,” says Danny Mathew, O.D., a VSP Network Doctor.
Also, check your solar eclipse glasses for damage. “Make sure there's no folds or cracks,” Dr. Mathew says.
Where can you find solar eclipse glasses?
Solar eclipses glasses have sold out nationwide ahead of this week's eclipse – and members of the public have been issued with an urgent warning over trying other techniques.
If you do find some solar eclipse glasses in stock (and that will come in time), here's what you need to know make sure you are getting yours from a safe source.
If you are shopping online from online retailers, such as Amazon, you need to take an extra step of precaution. Identify the seller on the site, then check to make sure that seller is on a safe suppliers list.
If you want to buy them locally, some major retailers are selling ISO-compliant solar eclipse glasses in stores – you might have a stroke of luck and find some. The Robert Dyas store was offering Bresser eclipse glasses for £2.99, but there was an “out of stock” message on its website.
What to do if you can't find solar eclipse glasses?
Jake Foster, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said: “If you don’t have a pair of eclipse glasses, you can still view the eclipse indirectly. Any household item with small round holes in it, such as a colander or even a piece of paper with a small hole poked in it can project an image of the eclipse on to a flat surface.
“Don’t look at the sun itself but instead at the shadow that’s being produced – you should be able to see the shape of the eclipse within it.”
Solar Eclipse Safety Takeaways:
DO purchase solar eclipse glasses with ISO 12312-2 filters.
DO make sure your solar eclipse glasses are not damaged.
DO check the fit of your kids’ solar eclipse glasses.
DO wear solar eclipse glasses with prescription eyewear.
DO NOT view the eclipse through cameras, telescopes, or binoculars.
What if your kids' solar eclipse glasses are too big?
If your children's solar eclipse glasses are too wide or slip fall off their face, BJC HealthCare has a DIY fix using a paper plate. See instructions about 2-and-half minutes into this video, following the instructions for making a pinhole camera out of a cereal box. Also, keep an eye on little ones during the eclipse to make sure their eyes stay protected.
What happens if you don't wear eclipse glasses?
Solar rays can damage the retina, says Dr. Mathew, causing solar retinopathy or, as it's referred to colloquially, eclipse blindness. “It can burn the part of the retina where you get your central, detail, and colour vision. In some cases, your vision doesn't come back – you don't go totally blind, but you lose your central, your detail, and your colour vision, and anything you look at centrally would be distorted.”
If you need further convincing, consider this: Looking at a solar eclipse without proper protection is equivalent to using a magnifying glass to burn leaves on a sunny day. Your retinas magnify light from the sun in a similar way, says Dr. Russell N. Van Gelder, editor-in-chief of the journal Ophthalmology, and professor and chair of the University of Washington School of Medicine's ophthalmology department.
Since our eyes don't feel pain like the rest of our bodies, you likely won't know you've done damage until it's too late. While Dr. Gelder says that some patients can recover from the damage, about half won't and will lose the central vision in their eye.
Why is it dangerous to view a solar eclipse through a camera, telescope, or binoculars?
The lenses of cameras, telescopes and binoculars will magnify and intensify direct sun rays during the eclipse. “You can actually do more damage to your eyes,” Dr. Mathew says, noting that during the 1999 total eclipse in the UK and Europe, people viewing the event through binoculars, cameras, and telescopes accounted for the most cases of solar retinopathy. It can damage your devices, including your smartphone too. Simply wearing your solar eclipse glasses while using these items is not enough. Unless you have outfitted these items with the proper filters, which are not your standard gear, using them in your solar eclipse viewing experience is strictly a no-go.
Can you wear solar eclipse glasses with prescription eyewear?
Yes. Dr. Mathew recommends putting on your solar eclipse glasses first, then putting on your regular glasses on top. This helps keep the solar eclipse glasses from falling off or sliding out of place.
Terri Robertson has been an editor and storyteller for more than 20 years. As Deputy Digital Editor at Country Living, she curates daily newsletters and has found a niche writing about odd corners of the internet and people embracing American life off the beaten path. She’s passionate about gardening and nature, writing about everything from super monarchs to supermoons. She also contributes to Country Living’s entertainment coverage, including HGTV stars, popular TV shows, and music. Terri began her career proofreading Southern Living cookbooks—a first job befitting an English major with a childhood penchant for reading her mom’s cookbooks—and went on to edit many food, garden, and lifestyle titles. She later worked for the University of Alabama’s marketing and communications division, capturing the stories of students and faculty. Returning to lifestyle media in 2017, she covered local arts, culture, and business news in Birmingham, Alabama, for Bham Now and later served as digital media manager for Flower magazine, a luxury home, garden, and lifestyle publication, before finding her home at Country Living. She and her husband live with their four cats in Birmingham.
Hannah Jones is the Commerce Editor for Country Living. Her eye is always on the next up-and-coming products to include in gift guides and she's ready to test everything from dog beds to garden tools for product reviews. When she’s not scoping out the latest and greatest items on the market, you can find her hanging with her two rescue dogs.
