Solar Eclipse Visible On June 10 From UK, Canada And Greenland

An annular eclipse of the Sun will take place on June 10, visible from Canada, Greenland, the Arctic Ocean and Siberia. In the UK and Ireland observers will see a partial solar eclipse, with up to two fifths of the Sun blocked out by the Moon.

Annular solar eclipses take place when the Earth, Moon and Sun are almost exactly aligned. At mid-eclipse, observers along a narrow track see a bright ring of sunlight, or annulus, around the silhouette of the Moon. On 10 June the track begins in Canada north of the Great Lakes, crosses north-eastern Canada into the Arctic Ocean, passes over the North Pole, and then ends in north-eastern Siberia. Observers in these locations will see up to 3 minutes and 51 seconds of annularity, with about nine tenths of the Sun covered by the Moon.

Away from the exact path of the annular eclipse, the Sun is only partly obscured by the Moon. This partial eclipse is visible across most of Europe including the UK and Ireland, and northern Asia. Observers of this partial eclipse will see a crescent Sun as the Moon passes in between the Sun and the Earth.

Although annular and partial eclipses of the Sun are spectacular events, they should NOT be viewed with the unaided eye. Even though a large part of the solar disc will be covered, looking at the partially eclipsed Sun without appropriate protection can cause serious and permanent damage to the eyes.

The Royal Astronomical Society, the Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA) and the British Astronomical Association (BAA) have created an online guide and video on how to safely view the eclipse. These describe how to project the solar image using a flat mirror or binoculars, and how to use appropriate safe filters to observe the Sun through a small telescope. COVID-19 restrictions prevent astronomical societies from organising public events, so the three organisations encourage everyone to watch the eclipse at home.