12/08/2026
Can I watch the Eclipse if I don't have special glasses?
eclipse glasses are very different from ordinary sunglasses. They contain a special solar filter that blocks essentially all of the Sun’s dangerous visible, ultraviolet and infrared radiation. Proper ones should be marked ISO 12312-2.
For the 12 August 2026 eclipse, from the UK we're getting a partial solar eclipse, not totality. That distinction is important because there is no point during a partial eclipse when it is safe to stare directly at the Sun without proper eclipse glasses.
Without eclipse glasses, you can still enjoy it safely. You can:
Make a pinhole projector with a piece of card and project the little crescent-shaped Sun onto another surface.
Use the holes in a colander — each hole projects a tiny image of the eclipsed Sun onto the ground or a white sheet. This is brilliant and ridiculously easy.
Stand underneath a leafy tree and look at the ground, where the gaps between the leaves act like hundreds of pinhole cameras and produce lots of little crescent Suns.
Watch a livestream or photograph it only with equipment fitted with an appropriate solar filter.
What doesn't make it safe: normal sunglasses (even several pairs), looking through your phone camera, smoked glass, CDs, camera filters, or squinting. And don't look through binoculars or a telescope while wearing eclipse glasses — those need their own solar filter fitted at the front.
So, if you're thinking this could be turned into a bit of a Majical family moment the colander/pinhole version could be gorgeous — watching dozens of little crescent moons appear across a sheet or patio feels wonderfully magical. 🌙✨
Please tag me in your pictures if you do this