The first partial solar eclipse of 2025 will take place this weekend, passing over the UK and parts of the US, Europe and Africa.
On Saturday, 29 March, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun for roughly two hours, beginning shortly after 10am GMT.
For viewers in the UK, around a third of the Sun will be covered, with those in the south of England seeing around 30 per cent coverage, and people in northern Scotland and Northern Ireland witnessing a 40 per cent partial solar eclipse.
The best views of the celestial phenomenon will be in the north east of North America, as the Moon will cover more than 90 per cent of the Sun.
A map produced by TimeandDate reveals that large parts of Russia and North Africa will see a very small part of the Sun covered during the partial solar eclipse, with a tiny sliver of the Sun covered in South America.
Despite the Sun being partially covered, astronomers have warned hopeful sky gazers to use appropriate equipment to view the solar eclipse in order to avoid any eyesight damage.
“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.”
Home-made contraptions, such as two pieces of paper fashioned into a projector using a pin, offer one of the best ways to view the passage of the Moon as it passes in front of the Sun.
Household objects like a kitchen colander also provide a way to create a makeshift projector, as the shape of the crescent Sun will appear in shadow after passing through the holes.
Eclipse glasses offer another way to look directly at the Sun, though they should have an official CE mark in order to ensure they are safe to use.
Current forecasts from the UK Met Office suggest that Saturday’s weather will provide a great opportunity to see the partial solar eclipse.
The next partial solar eclipse of 2025 will take place on 21 September, however it will only be visible in New Zealand and Antarctica.
A total solar eclipse will take place next year, but will not be visible in the UK – people will have to wait until 2090 before one is visible again from Britain.
“That said, if you’re in Spain in 2026, there happens to be a total solar eclipse then,” said 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.”
