‘I really like the glasses: you can look directly into the sun and they protect your eyes’
Next week, the night sky is set to put on a show with a partial solar eclipse swiftly followed by the Perseid meteor shower. First, space fans will be treated to an eclipse where around 90-96% of the Sun will be covered by the Moon on August 12 – according to the Royal Museums Greenwich, it will be the most impactful eclipse seen in the UK and Ireland since 1999, which is why shoppers are racing to buy the right equipment to watch it safely.
The eclipse will reportedly start at 6:17pm London time, with the most coverage happening around 7:12pm – but timings will vary slightly across the UK and Ireland. The fun doesn’t stop there as overnight between August 12 and 13, the eclipse is followed by the Perseid meteor shower – one of the most exciting astrological events of the year, known for plentiful and bright meteors shooting through the sky, along with the occasional fireball. According to NASA, the Perseids are best viewed in the pre-dawn hours – but you can see meteors as early as 10pm.
Watching a solar eclipse is risky – according to the government website, because the Sun appears dimmer than usual, people are tempted to look at it directly – which can cause eyesight damage. Regular sunglasses don’t provide adequate protection, so space fans will want to pick up a pair of international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E) – like the Celestron EclipSmart 3 Piece Solar Eclipse Observing & Imaging Kit, which currently cost £26.99, a 10% reduction on their full price of £29.99.
READ MORE: University students snap up Apple MacBook for less than £170 in 66% off deal
READ MORE: ‘I’ve used these £20 earbuds every day for 2 years – I prefer them to AirPods’
This kit includes sunglasses that meet the international safety standards, a camera filter and an information booklet. According to the listing, the sunglasses ‘block 99.999% of visible light as well as harmful IR and UV radiation’ – they’re sturdier than cardboard versions shoppers might have come across and have an orange tint for safety. The filter can be used on smartphones and more high-tech cameras to take perfect pictures of this amazing event. A larger version of the Celestron kit is also available for £34.98 from QVC, including one pair of plastic-framed eclipse glasses, four paper-framed glasses, an imaging filter and two eclipse guidebooks.
Anyone who wears glasses might want to look at the Fit-Over Solar Eclipse Glasses for Prescription Glasses, which cost £22 from Absolute Eclipse. These are described as ‘EN ISO 12312-2 certified solar viewer, the European adoption of the international EN ISO 12312-2:2015 guide, safe for direct viewing of the 12 August 2026 total eclipse’ – and comfortably fit over glasses, according to the brand.
The Celestron EclipSmart 3 Piece Kit is available from Amazon
The kit includes eclipse-safe glasses, a camera filter and an educational booklet
The Celestron EclipSmart 3 Piece Solar Eclipse Observing & Imaging Kit is a bestseller on Amazon, with more than 500 bought in the past month. One happy shopper wrote of their purchase: “These solar glasses are certified safe to wear. Used the glasses today to view the eclipse. I could see the eclipse very clearly with the glasses. As it turned out, my cell phone camera did not need the solar lens so I can’t comment on it. The booklet that came with the kit is very educational. A very worth-while purchase.”
Another wrote: “This kit let me view an annular eclipse with no problems. I also used it for solar photography, until I bought more permanent filters. So, this kit helped start a new facet of photography. It’s a perfect intro to solar observing. With the proper camera gear, this kit will let you see sunspots.”
While a third chimed in: “I really like the glasses: you can look directly into the sun, and they protect your eyes, and they’re very comfortable and don’t fall off. The camera phone filter also works well.”
However, some customers shared some slight notes, like one who wrote: “The glasses work well. I could see the last solar eclipse in April. The quality should be a little bit higher.”
Another raised a query about paying full price: “These items are great – but expensive. I wanted a reputable brand, considering I am looking at the sun! Glasses fit well. The filter does the job. Paid £29.99, think the price point should be 1/2 that.”
To safely watch the upcoming solar eclipse, shoppers can pick up the Celestron EclipSmart 3 Piece Solar Eclipse Observing & Imaging Kit from Amazon.