People across the UK will be treated to the captivating sight of a partial solar eclipse on Saturday 29 March 2025.
The Moon will pass across the disc of the Sun during a two-hour period, beginning shortly after 10am GMT and ending at about 12 noon. The astronomical phenomenon will reach its peak at around 11am, when roughly a third of the Sun’s light will be blocked by the Moon.
However, because the Sun is so bright it is extremely dangerous to just go out and look up at a solar eclipse, so it is important to take safety precautions to prevent permanent damage to your eyes or even blindness.
How can I see it?
"It's really important to stress that even though a third of the Sun’s light is gone (it's covered by the Moon at its peak), it's still really dangerous to look at," said Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society.
"You mustn't look at it with the naked eye, you mustn't look at it with a telescope – unless you have the right kind of filters."
The eclipse can be observed safely with everyday objects such as a kitchen colander or two pieces of paper and a pushpin, which can be used to create a projection screen for the Sun's rays.
Or, as Dr Massey demonstrates in a video explainer, with a solar telescope.
"What we have is a nice box system, where the light is coming in through a simple telescope, hitting a mirror, and then it's being projected slightly to the side so we can see the solar disc," he said.
"Also, in this case we can actually see a few sunspots as well. And on eclipse day, what we'll be able to see very, very easily from this, is just the bite coming out of the Sun as the Moon moves in front of it."
If you have any official CE-marked eclipse glasses from previous events these may also be safe to use, but only if they have been stored safely and the surfaces haven't been damaged in any way.
Check that there are no tiny holes in the coatings, or wrinkles where the coating may have worn away.
What happens during a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse takes place when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, causing our lunar satellite to cast a shadow on Earth.
There are between two and five solar eclipses each year, with a total eclipse taking place somewhere in the world every 18 months or so. Total solar eclipses are seen every 400 years from any one place on the surface of the Earth.
Can I take a picture?
"It's perfectly possible to take a picture of a solar eclipse," said Dr Massey. "My recommendation would be that if you're projecting the image onto a piece of white card, that you just photograph the projection and then you can see the progression of the eclipse and see that bite taken out of the Sun as the Moon moves across it."
Another way to do it would be to attach a camera to the back of a telescope with a full aperture filter, he added, but only if you follow the safety precautions mentioned above.
When is the next total eclipse?
The last time a total solar eclipse was seen from the UK was in 1999, although the only place to witness totality was Cornwall. Such a spectacle will not be visible again from Britain until 23 September 2090.
"That said, if you're in Spain in 2026, there happens to be a total solar eclipse then," explains Dr Massey.
"So my guess is an awful lot of people are going to see that. It's going to happen in the evening as well, so you might even have the enjoyable vista of watching a total solar eclipse while enjoying that glass of sangria."
Want to learn more about the partial solar eclipse? Watch our explainer video and view the graphics above. And if you're lucky enough to get a picture of the eclipse, why not share it with us via our social media accounts.
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ENDS
Media contacts
Sam Tonkin
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 700
Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 699
Video, images and captions
Caption: Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society, explains how to observe the partial solar eclipse safely on Saturday 29 March.
Credit: Royal Astronomical Society
Caption: An example of what the solar eclipse will look like at its peak shortly after 11am GMT, when around a third of the Sun’s light is covered up by the Moon.
Credit: Stellarium
Caption: This diagram shows that a solar eclipse happens when the Moon crosses paths with the Sun and blocks it from view.
Credit: Royal Astronomical Society
Caption: A woman using eclipse shades, certified to safety standards, to view a solar eclipse.
Credit: Robin Scagell
Notes for editors
About the Royal Astronomical Society
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The RAS organises scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognises outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 4,000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
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