I had only just sat down at my desk in the BBC Sky at Night Magazine office on Monday morning when a colleague – who's not part of the Sky at Night team – stopped by to ask whether we had any spare solar eclipse glasses.
Later in the day, another co-worker came by my desk, again to ask whether we had any eclipse glasses.
The answer being a "sorry, but no", we then launched into a conversation about where in the high street you might be able to find a pair.
Perhaps our local bookshop might sell them in their gift section? How about a camera shop or hardware shop? Are any magazines giving away a free pair in this month's issue?
That same colleague came by later to say they'd tried multiple shops in the hunt for solar eclipse glasses, but to no avail.
More on the eclipse
They'd even tried the local opticians, but their opening question "Do you happen to have any solar..." was interrupted with a curt "no" from the shop assistant. I expect she's heard that question a lot this week.
Yes, it seems half of the UK is now on the hunt for solar eclipse glasses, with one day to go until one of the deepest partial solar eclipses the country has seen in a decade. And it seems shopkeepers are getting a little tired of being asked about them!
While many will have bought their solar eclipse glasses weeks – even months – ago, some have left it to the last minute, perhaps unaware until now that you should never look at a partial solar eclipse without donning a pair.
A quick search via online retailers brings up options for delivery from 13 August onwards, which is a bit late, to put it bluntly.
And even if delivery for 12 August is an option, who's to say buyers would even get their eclipse glasses before 6pm, which is the time when the solar eclipse begins?
The Royal Observatory Greenwich – perhaps the UK's most famous astronomical institution – has put a notice on its website stating that 'solar eclipse glasses are now sold out online', highlighting an 'unprecedented volume of solar eclipse glasses orders'.
The Observatory has stated, however, that solar eclipse glasses will be available at Royal Observatory Greenwich and National Maritime Museum on-site shops on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 August, but will be limited to a maximum of five per person. The great solar-eclipse-glasses-hunt has truly begun.
Luckily, I have a few pairs of solar eclipse glasses left over from the partial solar eclipse on 29 March 2025. We were completely clouded out for that one, so they've never even left their packet.
| City | Duration | Greatest eclipse | Time of greatest eclipse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | 18:08–20:00 | 90.7% | 19:05pm BST |
| Glasgow | 18:08–20:00 | 91.4% | 19:06pm BST |
| Belfast | 18:10–20:03 | 93.1% | 19:08pm BST |
| Leeds | 18:12–20:03 | 90.8% | 19:09pm BST |
| Manchester | 18:13–20:03 | 91.4% | 19:10pm BST |
| Liverpool | 18:13–20:04 | 91.8% | 19:10pm BST |
| Sheffield | 18:13–20:03 | 91% | 19:10pm BST |
| Birmingham | 18:15–20:05 | 91.8% | 19:11pm BST |
| Cardiff | 18:16–20:07 | 93.2% | 19:13pm BST |
| London | 18:17–20:06 | 91.4% | 19:13pm BST |
The 12 August 2026 partial solar eclipse over the UK will start just after 6pm, with maximum eclipse – the moment the Moon covers most of the Sun – occurring just after 7pm, and the whole event being over just after 8pm.
If you're viewing from the UK, you'll need to wear solar eclipse glasses for the entire eclipse.
Even when the Sun is as much as 95% obscured by the Moon, looking at the Sun is incredibly dangerous without proper solar-observing equipment.
And you must make sure your glasses display the international safety standard code ISO 12312-2, as this means they meet the standards required to enable safe observing of the Sun. For more info on this, read our guide on how to make sure your solar eclipse glasses are safe.
Also, don't fall for any of the supposed 'alternative methods' for solar-eclipse viewing. We've heard them all: smoked glass, welder's masks, even CDs and DVDs (although, we admit, we're not sure exactly what the supposed technique is here). These are not safe alternatives to solar eclipse glasses and should never be used to look at the Sun.
So what safe alternatives are there?
No eclipse glasses? Here are your options
If you can't get solar eclipse glasses in time, there are plenty of live streams popping up from the likes of NASA and the European Space Agency that will offer live, online views of the eclipse.
Or the best way of enjoying a solar eclipse without solar eclipse glasses is to observe it indirectly, by projecting the shadow of the eclipse on to a piece of card.
Do this by leaning one piece of card upright so that it's facing the Sun at the time of the eclipse – in this case, you'll need it to face west, as this is where the eclipse will occur.
Then, take another piece of card and poke a hole through it. Hold this up so you're casting a pinprick of sunlight onto the other card.
At the time of the eclipse, the circle of light on the card will turn into a crescent as the Moon passes in front of the Sun.
And if you use a colander or tea strainer, you'll be able to see multiple views of the shadow of the solar eclipse at once.
If you're really cut short – i.e. if you're reading this with just minutes to spare until the solar eclipse starts, a good technique is to find a tall tree. Look at the shadow of the tree cast on the ground.
As the solar eclipse is happening, you should be able to see sunlight that has passed through the tree's foliage turn into tiny crescent-shaped shadows on the ground.
Just remember not to be tempted to look up at the Sun while the eclipse is happening, because without solar eclipse glasses, you could seriously damage your eyesight.
This is set to be one of the best solar eclipses the UK has seen in a long time. If you can't get solar eclipse glasses in time, projection is your best option.
Safe and happy eclipse-viewing, everyone!
Share your solar eclipse stories and images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
