People in Lincolnshire have the opportunity to witness a rare partial solar eclipse today, 12 August. The moon will move between the sun and the Earth, blocking 90 to 96 per cent of the sun's light.
The partial eclipse will be visible in the county from 18:14 BST, reaching its deepest point at 19:10, and concluding at 20:03. This event marks the largest solar coverage since the total eclipse in 1999.
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists advises that looking directly at the eclipse can cause retinal damage without pain. Safety equipment such as eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers with ISO 12312-2 or ISO 12312-2:2015 certification should be used, provided they are not scratched or damaged. Indirect viewing methods, such as a pinhole viewer or projecting the sun's image onto paper, are also safe alternatives.
After this week, the UK is not expected to experience another partial eclipse of this kind until 2050, with the next total eclipse not due until 2090. The day also coincides with the best time to see the Perseids meteor shower, active between midnight and dawn on 12 and 13 August.