Seven ways to safely watch a solar eclipse without glasses as shops sell out across UK

THE highly-anticipated August solar eclipse is set to be visible in UK skies this evening. The solar spectacle will see a proportion of the sun blocked out by the moon, with up to 95 per cent set to be covered in some areas of the country. The long-awaited solar eclipse will sweep through the UK sky tonight Credit: AFP Protective solar eclipse glasses have sold out across the nation Credit: Alamy Millions of Brits are expected to be preparing to witness the rare moment tonight, with protective eclipse glasses having sold out almost everywhere. Countless warnings have been issued to those wanting to watch the partial solar eclipse, urging people not to look directly at the sun without proper protection. Sign up for the Tech newsletter Thank you! Solar eclipse glasses must have an ISO certification of 2312-2:2015 in order to be suitable and looking at a solar eclipse with the naked eye can cause serious vision damage. If you haven’t managed to get your hands on a pair of glasses that will shield your eyes from damaging solar rays, there are still ways to enjoy the phenomenon. Here’s how to view the eclipse without protective eyewear… Use a colander An item you already have stashed in your kitchen cupboard could be the answer to watching the solar eclipse safely this evening. The utensil is a cheap and simple way to see the moment take place, without staring directly at it. The dozens of tiny holes in a colander make it easy to project the image of the eclipse onto the ground or a piece of paper. Most read in Tech Simply hold it up to the sun, facing away from the eclipse, and project the shadow onto a surface. The image of the partial eclipse will be visible through each of the small holes, as they let the light through. Use a cereal box A makeshift pinhole box viewer is another way to project the image of the eclipse, making it safe to watch. Again, this method means you don’t have to look directly at the sun and risk eye damage to see the moon pass over it. It’s simple to fashion a makeshift pinhole box viewer out of something like a cereal box – and can provide a fairly clear image of the eclipse. You’ll need to place a piece of tin foil with a pinhole in over a gap in one end of the box, then secure a piece of white paper to the other end. Then create a viewing hole beside the pinhole foil, which you can look through to see the image projected at the back of the box. Then angle the box so that the pinhole is in the way of the sun’s rays, and look through the peep hole to see the image projected on the paper in the box. Make a pinhole projector Making a pinhole projector is another seriously easy and cheap way to make the image of the eclipse visible without staring at the sun. All you need is a piece of card and a surface to project the shadow onto. You can then face away from the eclipse, hold the ticket up to the sun and project the image through the tiny hole. Another incredibly easy way to make your own pinhole projector. Use a lottery ticket Bought a lottery ticket recently? Don’t throw it away before tonight. National Lottery operator, Allwyn, has shared a handy tip for using your lottery slips to view the eclipse safely. They advise folding a ticket twice (once horizontally and once lengthways) then piercing a hole all the way through the middle using a pin. Create your pinhole in the card, hold it up to the light of the eclipse, facing away, and see the image projected onto the ground through the pinhole. The most solar obscuration will be seen in the South West of England Using an old lottery ticket is an easy way to create a pinhole projection Credit: Allwyn Wear welding goggles While you likely don’t have a pair of solar eclipse glasses laying around the house, there’s another piece of eyewear you can use to protect your vision. If you’re a DIY lover or work in construction for a living, you might have a pair of welding glasses in your kit – and these can be used to watch the eclipse. NASA has confirmed that welding goggles or helmets are suitable, but only if they have a strong enough filter. “The only ones that are safe for direct viewing of the sun with your eyes are those of shade 12 or higher,” the space administration said. “These are much darker than the filters used for most kinds of welding. If you have an old welder’s helmet around the house and are thinking of using it to view the sun, make sure you know the filter’s shade number. “If it’s less than 12 (and it probably is), don’t even think about using it to look at the sun.” Watch via livestream While watching the partial solar eclipse on screen rather than in the sky might not seem as exciting, it’s actually the best way if you want to really take it in and don’t have glasses. Seeing it on camera via livestream will mean you can watch the entirety of the solar obscuration, in detail, without damaging your eyes – and take it all in. Look through a solar filtered telescope Looking through a telescope is another way to watch the solar eclipse – but ONLY if you have an appropriate solar filter installed. The solar filter must be front-mounted and securely attached in order to keep your eyes and vision safe. The filter is vital, as looking at the sun or an eclipse through an unfiltered telescope can result in instant blindness, even while not causing pain. You should also not rely on solar eclipse glasses to protect your eyes while looking through a telescope. NASA says: “Do NOT look at the sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer. “The concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury.” Comment now