Three ways to watch the solar eclipse safely without glasses as warnings issued for sighting
Millions of people across the Northern Hemisphere will have a chance to see Wednesday's solar eclipse, but those who haven't managed to get eclipse glasses can still watch it without putting their eyesight at risk.
There are three simple ways to view the event indirectly using household items: a pinhole projector made from card, a kitchen colander, or a homemade viewer using an empty cereal box.
The August 12 eclipse will be total along a narrow path crossing Greenland, Iceland and Spain, as well as a small part of Portugal.
A partial eclipse will be visible across much of Europe, including the UK and Ireland, as well as parts of northern North America, including portions of the US and most of Canada.
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Don't worry if you've left it too late to buy your eclipse glasses - there are several easy home made ways for you to safely watch the eclipse.
Make a pinhole projector
This is arguably the simplest option and requires little more than two pieces of card or paper and something sharp enough to make a tiny hole.
Make a small hole in one piece of card, then stand with your back to the Sun.
Hold the card so sunlight passes through the hole and lands on the second piece of paper.
Rather than looking at the Sun itself, you'll see a small projected image of it. As the eclipse happens, the shape of that image will change as the Moon moves across the Sun.
The UK Health Security Agency lists pinhole projection among the safe ways to watch an eclipse without specialist viewing equipment.
Use a strainer
Your kitchen drawer could contain another useful eclipse-viewing tool.
Hold a strainer so sunlight passes through its holes and lands on a piece of paper or another suitable surface.
Each hole acts like a tiny pinhole, producing multiple images of the Sun. As the eclipse progresses, those little projections will show the changing shape of the Sun.
Eye specialist David Jones, consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, says this is his favourite way of witnessing an eclipse.
"If you hold the colander to the Sun and you look away from the Sun, protecting your eyes, you can make not just one picture of the Sun but a hundred all at once."
Turn a cereal box into a pinhole viewer
For something a little more enclosed, an empty cereal box can be converted into a simple viewer.
Put a piece of white paper inside the bottom of the box. Cut openings into the top, cover one with aluminum foil and make a tiny hole in the foil.
With your back to the Sun, look through the other opening and line up the pinhole with the Sun. Its light will project an image onto the paper inside the box.
The box helps block surrounding sunlight, making the projected image easier to see.
Where will the August 2026 solar eclipse be visible?
The total eclipse will travel through Greenland, Iceland and Spain, while a small area of Portugal will also experience totality. The partial eclipse will cover a much wider region, stretching across parts of Europe, northern Africa and northern North America.
In the UK, the eclipse will be partial rather than total, with the Sun sitting relatively low in the western sky during the event.
Whatever method you use, the crucial safety advice is not to look directly at the Sun. Regular sunglasses are not a safe replacement for certified eclipse glasses, and NASA has also warned that pointing an unprotected phone camera at the Sun can damage its sensor.
Indirect projection methods avoid that direct view, allowing you to follow the eclipse while keeping your eyes away from the Sun.
How to make a pinhole projector for a solar eclipse
You don't need fancy, expensive equipment to safely view a solar eclipse, as a pinhole projector can be very easily made at home if you follow these simple steps.
According to NASA, all you'll need is:
- 2 pieces of white card stock
- Aluminium foil
- Tape
- Pin, paper clip, or a pencil
Step one: Start making your pinhole camera
Cut a one-inch to two-inch square or rectangular hole in the middle of one of the pieces of card stock.
Step two: Tape on the foil
Tape a piece of aluminum foil over the hole.
Step three: Poke a hole
Flip over your paper and use your pin, paper clip, or pencil to poke a small hole in the aluminum foil.
Step four: Try it out
Place your second piece of card stock on the ground and hold the piece with aluminum foil above it (foil facing up). Stand with the Sun behind you and view the projected image on the card stock below.
The farther away you hold your camera, the bigger your projected image will be.
However, it's important to remember to never look directly at the Sun without equipment that's specifically designed for looking at the Sun. Sunglasses, binoculars, and telescopes do not count as proper protection.
Topics: Nature, World News
Thomas Bamford