Five ways to watch the solar eclipse if you don’t have official glasses

There are other ways to watch the solar eclipse on 12 August safely – but you should never look at the sun directly (or use sunglasses)

• Make a pinhole viewer:Cut a 1-2-inch hole in a piece of card, stick aluminum foil over it and use a pin to poke a hole in the foil. Place a second piece of card on the ground and hold your pinhole viewer above to project the sun’s image onto it.
• Use a colander: Hold it up to the sun and look at its shadow for a natural pinhole viewer.
• Look between the leaves:The shadow cast by the gaps between foliage can also act as natural pinhole projector.
• Use a solar telescope:You can check with your local observatory if they’re running an eclipse viewing event. It’s not safe to use a regular telescope.
• Watch the livestream:The Royal Observatory will be livestreaming the solar eclipse.