Why you should be careful using a phone to watch the solar eclipse

The eclipse is just a few hours away and the chances of getting your hands on a pair of solar eclipse certified glasses is now pretty remote.

It is dangerous to watch the eclipse with the naked eye and it is almost certain to damage your retinas.

There are other ways to watch the eclipse safely but tend to involve staring at a shadow on a piece of paper.

So, many are wondering how safe it is to watch it through their phones.

Unfortunately, while it is okay to watch the eclipse though your phone, filming the eclipse is likely to damage the lens unless you use a special filter. The phone camera could overheat and shutdown or damage the sensor.

Also, if you film it directly, you risk accidently looking at the sun with the naked eye as you adjust while filming the eclipse.

Others have been getting excited by one tip that sounds like a perfect hack.

Filming yourself in selfie mode with the eclipse in the background sounds like a great compromise but this also has its pitfalls.

Again, it can damage your camera. Secondly, while you can safely watch the eclipse through there is a risk of damage due to a glint on the screen or you could be distracted and end up inadvertently looking at the sun.

The best way to look at the phenomenon is through the solar eclipse certified glasses which filter out more UV and infrared rays or using specialised telescope equipment. But most of us now will not be able to get our hands on any.

For those channelling their inner Blue Peter, you can create pinhole viewer using an empty cereal box

Cut out a piece of paper that fits the bottom of the box. Open the top of the box and tape the cutout to the bottom to create the screen.

Then tape the box shut. On one half of the top of it, cut out a small square so you can see the paper at the bottom with one eye.

On the other half, cut out another small square to match and cover it with foil and poke a hole in the middle with a needle or pin.

Standing with your back to the Sun, use one eye to look through the open square and you should see an image of it on the screen at the bottom.

The simpler way is to simply get two pieces of white paper. Put a small hole through one and line it up with the sun and the other piece of paper to create the shadow image of the eclipse.

Equally, you can use a colander or even a slice of Swiss cheese – anything with small holes in it basically - then line it up and project it onto the piece of white paper.

The weather is looking good on the Isle of Man with mainly clear skies so we should be able to watch the eclipse clear.

Around 93% of the Sun will be obscured as the Moon passes between the Earth and the sun this evening.

The eclipse will begin at 6.10pm, reach its maximum at 7.11pm and finish shortly after 8pm.

It will be low on the western horizon, so Peel or another location in the west of the island will be the best place to head to.

Skywatchers who stay out after sunset will also be able to enjoy the Perseid meteor shower, which is expected to peak overnight into Thursday morning, with up to 100 meteors visible each hour.