Solar eclipse guide for spectators in Harrogate area: Weather forecast, viewing locations and safety warnings

There’s been a rush to find eclipse glasses in North Yorkshire after it was named one of the UK’s top locations to watch the solar eclipse this week.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 12, will see the Moon pass directly in front of the Sun, blocking around 90% to 96% of its surface in different parts of England.

It’s the biggest event of its kind since the total eclipse in 1999 and the prospect of viewing this rare phenomenon has inspired science festivals, eclipse parties and a search for special glasses in Yorkshire.

The partial eclipse will last for roughly one hour and 50 minutes, beginning at around 6.20pm BST and ending close to 8.10pm.

At its peak tomorrow evening in Yorkshire and the North-East, the sun will be about 92% obscured.

Chris Higgins, a retired scientist and volunteer at Lime Tree Observatory and Planetarium in Grewelthorpe located six miles from Ripon, told the BBC, although not a total eclipse, it was still “something that will inspire people."

"It's a natural phenomenon that will have been witnessed by humanity forever, so it's something that will inspire people," he said.

The best way to view the eclipse is at an elevated location with a clear view to the west, because the sun and moon will be dipping to the horizon ahead of sunset.

The south-west is expected to experience the greatest coverage but North Yorkshire has been rated the only English county to land multiple locations in the national top 10, with both Buckden Pike and Tan Hill Inn in Swaledale rated highly and Otley Chevin not far behind.

But anyone keen to watch the spectacle is being warned that regular sunglasses do not provide adequate protection from the harmful rays of sunlight.

Experts say that only special solar eclipse glasses that are ISO 12312-2 certified for the safest eye protection should be used to view the eclipse.

To that end, Otley Science Festival at Otley Market Place is offering free certified eclipse glasses, courtesy of Go Stargazing.

Meanwhile, Wetherby Sports Association is hosting an Eclipse Party at at The Club House on Lodge Lane from 5.30pm on Wednesday with solar eclipse glasses available for just £2.

Alternative methods for safely viewing the eclipse include, using a solar telescope, which are being offered to look through as part of local astronomical society viewing events, or making a pinhole projector, which projects an indirect image of the sun onto a surface through a tiny hole.

Retired scientist Chris Higgins said household objects with small holes, such as a colander, could be used to make a pinhole projector.

Neil Sanders, astronomer at Go Stargazing and co-founder of UK Eclipse, said, whatever way in which people chose to watch it, Wednesday night promised to be an “unmissable occasion”.

Created in collaboration between Go Stargazing and First Light Optics, UK Eclipse is a new initiative dedicated to inspiring public interest in astronomy through some of nature’s most spectacular events: solar and lunar eclipses.