UK Health Security Agency Warns Britons to Use Certified Eye Protection for August 12 Eclipse

Britons are being warned to view the partial solar eclipse on 12 August with certified eye protection, because the UK Health Security Agency says permanent damage can be done within seconds if precautions are not followed.

“The partial solar eclipse will be visible across the UK on 12 August.”

The Independent

The UK Health Security Agency cautioned that “During an eclipse, the sun appears dimmer than usual. This makes it easier to look at directly – and that's precisely the problem,” and said ordinary sunglasses do not provide adequate protection.

ABC

Royal Museums Greenwich said it will be the most complete solar eclipse since 1999, with people in the South West likely to see about 95 per cent of the sun covered and those in London about 90 per cent coverage.

The Royal Observatory will livestream the eclipse on 12 August, and in person it will be visible first to viewers in Scotland with “first contact” at 6.08pm, while in London, Bristol and Cardiff it is 6.17pm and in Cornwall it’s 6.18pm.

The eclipse will peak between 7.05pm and 7.16pm depending on location, and end for all UK viewers by 8.10pm.

Across Europe, a wide band of north and central Spain plus a sliver of Portugal and parts of Greenland and Iceland will experience a rare total eclipse on Wednesday evening, while the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland and northern Italy will see a partial eclipse.

Dr Megan Argo, a reader in astrophysics at the University of Lancashire and the vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said “You have to be right in the middle of the shadow to see a total eclipse, and that is quite a narrow track on the Earth’s surface,” and explained that the orbit of the moon is slightly tilted.

BBC

In the UK, the Royal Observatory Greenwich calculates that the partial eclipse will begin for viewers in London at 18.17 BST, reach its maximum at 19.13 BST, and end at 20.06 BST.

Dr Carys Herbert, an astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, said people in Cornwall would experience about 96% coverage, while people in the west of Scotland would experience 93% coverage and people in London would see about 92% coverage.

Herbert added, “It will be low on the horizon,” and said anyone wanting to go should find a spot with a view to the western horizon without buildings or trees in the way.

For travelers heading to Spain for the August 12 total solar eclipse, the U.S. Embassy in Madrid said traffic restrictions and congestion are expected especially in areas within the zone of totality, and local authorities may ask for a hotel reservation or proof of domicile to access areas temporarily closed to traffic.

“Traffic restrictions and congestion are expected especially in areas within the zone of totality.”

US Embassy in Spain

The U.S. Embassy also warned that Spain is facing an elevated threat for wildfires, including areas within the zone of totality for the eclipse, and advised travelers to follow updates on wildfires from local authorities.

In the UK, the Medscape report said the eclipse was “a rare and exciting event” but cautioned that looking directly at the sun without the right protection could cause permanent damage to people's eyesight.

Medscape added that the Royal College of Ophthalmologists warned people to view the eclipse indirectly, and said the right glasses should be printed with the international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E).

The U.S. Embassy advised travelers to leave for the airport 2-3 hours earlier than usual when departing the islands, and to follow safe viewing instructions including wearing certified protective glasses.