There is hope for those who missed out on the spectacular total solar eclipse witnessed by millions across North America in April last year.
A partial solar eclipse, when the Moon moves between the Sun and the Earth, will be visible in the UK this year.
During a partial eclipse, the Sun, Moon, and Earth are not perfectly aligned, but part of the Sun will be hidden by the Moon.
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The next partial solar eclipse will be on Saturday, 29 March 2025. The eclipse will begin at 10.07am GMT in London, with maximum coverage occurring at 11.03am and the eclipse ending at 12.00pm.
All of the UK should be able to see the partial solar eclipse. The Outer Hebrides is expected to see about 47% of the sun obscured, Northern Ireland 44% and West Wales 38%, according to BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
The last time a total solar eclipse was seen from the UK was in 1999. Due to the path of the eclipse falling on densely populated areas, this was one of the most viewed total solar eclipses. In the UK, the only place to witness totality was Cornwall.
Experts warn to never look directly at the sun or any form of eclipse without appropriate filtered eye protection.
Experts warn not to look directly at the Sun during the partial solar eclipse -Credit:PA
The Royal Observatory in Greenwich suggests the following options to those wanting to look at an eclipse safely and directly:
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Check to see if your local astronomical society is hosting a viewing event
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Buy a pair of solar eclipse glasses
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Use a pinhole projection to avoid looking directly into the sun
Other celestial events in 2025
That’s not all for 2025’s celestial events. There are plenty of lunar events to note for later in the year.
Total lunar eclipse
On 7 September 2025, a total lunar eclipse will be visible from the UK. This occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon align so that the Moon passes through the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow.
During a lunar eclipse, the Moon appears a dark red because the only sunlight reaching the Moon has passed through the Earth’s atmosphere and is refracted back towards it.
A lunar eclipse can last several hours, but the eclipse’s maximum will occur at 19:11 BST when the Moon is below the horizon.
The UK will see three supermoons in 2025 -Credit:PA
Three supermoons
You might remember the UK saw four consecutive supermoons in 2024, but this year there will be three.
A supermoon, where the Moon appears up to 30% bigger and 14% brighter, occurs when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit.
The dates for 2025’s supermoons are: