Solar eclipse 2025: when it is and how to see it from the United Kingdom and all over the world today
The first partial Solar eclipse of 2025 will take place this weekend, passing through the United Kingdom and parts of the United States, Europe and Africa.
Saturday 29 March, the moon will pass in front of the sun for about two hours, starting shortly after 10 in the morning.
For spectators in the United Kingdom, about a third of the sun will be covered, with those in southern England seeing about 30 % coverage and people in northern Scotland and Northern Ireland who witness a partial of 40 % Solar eclipse.
The best views of the celestial phenomenon will be in the north -east of North America, since the moon will cover over 90 % of the sun.
A map produced by Timeanddate reveals that most of Russia and North Africa will see a very small part of the covered sun during the partial solar eclipse, with a small fragment of covered sun in South America.
Although the sun is partially covered, the astronomers warned the Sky Gazers of hope of using appropriate equipment to view the solar eclipse to avoid damage to the vision.
“It is really important to emphasize that even if a third of the sunlight has disappeared – it is covered by the moon at its peak – it is still really dangerous to look at,” said dr. Robert Massey, executive deputy director of the Royal Astronomical Society.
“You don’t have to look at it with the naked eye, you don’t have to look at it with a telescope, unless you have the right type of filters.”
The homemade gadgets, like two pieces of paper modeled in a projector using a pivot, offer one of the best ways to see the passage of the moon while passing in front of the sun.
Domestic objects like a kitchen colander also provide a way to create an improvised projector, since the shape of the Crescent sun will appear in the shade after crossing the holes.
Eclipse glasses offer another way of looking at the sun directly, although they should have an official CE brand to make sure they are safe to use.
The current provisions of the United Kingdom Met Office suggest that Saturday time will offer a great opportunity to see partial solar eclipse.
The next partial solar eclipse of 2025 will take place on September 21, however it will be visible only in New Zealand and Antarctica.
A total solar eclipse will take place next year, but will not be visible in the United Kingdom: people will have to wait until 2090 before one is visible again from Great Britain.
“Having said that, if you are in Spain in 2026, then it happens that there is a total solar eclipse,” said dr. Massey.
“So my hypothesis is that a lot of people will see it. It will also happen in the evening, so you could also have the pleasant view of looking at a total solar eclipse while you enjoy that glass of sangria.”
