Londoners Queue for Specialised Glasses Ahead of Rare Total Solar Eclipse
Londoners in Whitechapel queued for specialised glasses to safely view Wednesday's rare total solar eclipse, with totality lasting up to 2 minutes 18 seconds.
LONDON — Excitement is building across the capital as Londoners rushed to secure specialised glasses ahead of Wednesday's rare total solar eclipse. In Whitechapel, enthusiasts formed queues stretching for blocks outside convenience stores selling the essential protective eyewear.
The glasses are crucial for safe viewing, as they feature special filters designed to block solar radiation that can cause serious eye damage. Even when only a sliver of the sun remains visible, direct viewing without protection is hazardous.
The eclipse's path begins near the North Pole before tracking south. Totality — the period when the moon completely obscures the sun — will last up to two minutes and 18 seconds. This event serves as a preview for an even longer spectacle next year, when a 6½-minute total eclipse will sweep from Spain across North Africa and into the Middle East.
The moon's shadow, known as the umbra, will race along a 5,130-mile (8,260-kilometre) course, mostly over the Atlantic Ocean, taking about 1½ hours to complete its journey. Maximum totality is expected off Iceland's west coast.
By the time the shadow reaches a small patch of Portugal and then Spain — where massive crowds are anticipated — totality will have diminished to roughly a minute. The celestial show will conclude over the Mediterranean.