'Safe way' to view August 12 UK solar eclipse using common kitchen item

It'll be a rare sight, but it needs to be viewed safely13:36, 07 Aug 2026The UK will see its fullest solar eclipse for the next 54 years on Wednesday – and the safest way to view it at home is through a colander, according to experts. More than 90% of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon between 6.17pm and 8.06pm on August 12, the most it has been blocked above UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999.‌But the Royal Greenwich Observatory has warned the public that sunglasses are not a safe enough method to view the cosmic phenomenon.‌Imo Bell, a planetarium astronomer at the observatory, told the Press Association: “It’s not a total eclipse, but over 90% is really exciting. We’re not going to get one this good for a really long time.‌“So it’s important not to miss it, and to be prepared. Y