Why can’t you look at a solar eclipse – and how can I watch safely?

• The government is warning Britons to take precautions when viewing the partial solar eclipse on 12 August to prevent permanent eye damage.
• Royal Museums Greenwich says this will be the most complete solar eclipse visible in the UK since 1999.
• The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says that the sun's “reduced brightness can override the body's natural reflex to look away, allowing intense sunlight to reach and damage the retina.”
• Safe viewing methods include using special eclipse glasses certified with 'ISO 12312-2' or 'ISO 12312-2:2015'.
• Alternatively, the eclipse can be viewed safely through a pinhole viewer, by projecting the sun's image onto paper using a pinhole projector, by holding up a colander and looking at its shadow or by looking at the shadows cast by leaves on the ground.

IN FULL

Britons told to view solar eclipse using colander to protect eyes