Solar eclipse 2025: What is it, when is it and how to watch it safely in the UK

The partial solar eclipse might look like this, which was taken over New York on 8 April 2024

On Saturday 29 March 2025, people living in the UK will be treated to a partial solar eclipse.

This solar eclipse will be partial rather than total, meaning that the Moon will cover a chunk of the Sun - looking like it's taking a bite out of it!

It's a really special eclipse, as it'll begin not too early in the morning and should be visible from all across the UK, though certain areas might be able to see a more dramatic eclipse than others.

Find out what's expected to happen below!

When is the solar eclipse in the UK?

This shot was also taken on 8 April 2024, above the clouds in Spain

The partial solar eclipse is expected to take place between 10am and 12pm on the morning of Saturday 29 March.

According to the Royal Astronomical Society, by around 11am the Moon will be at its peak coverage of the Sun, meaning the eclipse will look the most dramatic.

On Saturday, everyone in the UK should be lucky enough to see the partial eclipse.

BBC Sky at Night Magazine says that the best place to see it will be the northwest of Scotland.

There, nearly half of the Sun could be covered by the Moon.

What is a solar eclipse?

There are actually many different types of solar eclipse

A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, blocking its light.

It's a special cosmic event where the Sun, Moon and Earth all have to line up to for it to happen.

Depending on how they line up, there's different types of eclipses that are visible from the Earth.

A partial eclipse - which will happen on Saturday - is when the Moon only covers part of the Sun.

A total eclipse is when the Sun is completely blocked by the Moon, causing the sky to go dark as there isn't enough light from the Sun.

There's also something called an annular eclipse, where the Moon is in front of the Sun, but is too far away from Earth to completely block it.

In an annular eclipse, it looks like there's a dramatic ring of fire around the Moon - but this is just the part of the Sun that hasn't been covered up.

How to watch the solar eclipse safely

Although it might be tempting, it's not safe to look directly at the eclipse, as the Sun could damage your eyes.

But there's lots of fun ways to observe this amazing event if you're happy to get involved with some arts and crafts!

A safe way to look at the partial solar eclipse is through something called a pinhole camera, which can easily be made at home.

This projects the light from the Sun onto a piece of card inside a cereal box, where you'll be able to see the outline of the Sun as obscured by the Moon.

Make sure to stand with your back to the Sun, allowing the light to project through the pinhole for you to view safely inside the box.

A child uses a pinhole camera to view a solar eclipse in 2017