SCOTLAND’S top astronomer has issued an unexpected piece of advice to people hoping to catch a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse this weekend – and it involves looking in your kitchen cupboards.
On Saturday, the moon will pass between the sun and the earth, causing a partial eclipse which will be visible from all of the UK – but most pronounced in Scotland. The partial eclipse is expected to be visible from 9.56am to 12.14pm.
Professor Catherine Heymans, the astronomer royal for Scotland, told the BBC on Friday that you could more safely observe the phenomenon if you used a colander.
Heymans said the kitchen tool, more commonly used for straining pasta, could help solar-watchers who do not have eclipse glasses on hand.
“If you don't have eclipse glasses, you can use a colander. I know it sounds really weird, just from the kitchen.
“So, on a normal bright sunny day, when you look at the sunlight on the floor shining through your colander, you just see the normal shapes, the circles of the colander.
“But when there's an eclipse happening, there's this little bit cut out of the holes, and that's the shadow of the moon blocking out the sun – as revealed through your colander.”
Heymans said you are not meant to wear it on your face like glasses, but instead “hold it above the ground so the sunlight's shining through the colander, and look at the dots of light on the ground and they'll have just a little bit missing, which is because the moon's blocking out the light.
“So, that's a fun way of doing it if you don't have any eclipse glasses.”
Cloud cover and showers are expected for much of the country on Saturday morning, meaning it may prove difficult to even catch a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse.
Stephen Dixon, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said: “The north west of Scotland, which has the best window for seeing the partial solar eclipse, is unfortunately going to see rain and cloudy skies.
“However, those further south in England on Saturday should see some break in the cloud.”
