Previous Solar Eclipse Details

Wednesday 29 March 2006 - Total Solar Eclipse of the Sun

A Total Solar Eclipse is one of the most breathtaking phenomenons anyone can observe.

Enjoy this rare event and view the sun safely by using CE approved Solar Eclipse Glasses available here to Buy Now on-line, and have them delivered anywhere in the world.

On Wednesday 29 March 2006 a Total Eclipse will be visible from many easily accessible holiday destinations such as Libya, Egypt, Turkey and beyond into central Asia.

For anyone in England in the UK, most of Europe, Africa or Asia there will be a partial eclipse visible.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun and obscures it totally or partially (the proper terminology is an occultation of the Sun by the Moon).

Warning : Viewing the Sun at any time other than during the brief period of totality of a total eclipse requires special eye protection such as these Solar Eclipse Glasses, or indirect viewing methods.

Solar eclipse glasses will be vital to provide safe direct solar viewing of the Total Solar Eclipse of the Sun on Wednesday 29 March 2006.

These solar eclipse glasses are CE approved and independently tested for safe direct solar viewing. The eclipse glasses comply with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive (Directive 89/686/EEC), the DTI web site has details of the EC directive.

Our eclipse glasses were included in the write up last October in the Sky at Night magazine, and in 2004 we supplied the eclipse glasses featured by Lucie Green and Adam Hart-Davis on the BBC Open-University coverage of the Transit of Venus.

The eclipse glasses are plain white cardboard glasses with arms, which can be worn like spectacles. One size fits all - adults and children. The rear of the eclipse glasses is printed in English with the following explicit safe use information, they are also printed on the rear with the CE mark.

For safe solar observations the lenses filter 99.999% of the ultra-violet and infrared rays of the sun and are rated at optical density 5.0. The patented lenses consist of double aluminised 2-ml scratch resistant optical grade polyester film, known as SolarSkreen® (US Patent 3,897,140) originally invented by Roger Tuthill in 1972 (tough optical-grade, aluminum-coated Mylar® filter - silver coloured).

Discounts are available for orders of large quantities of solar eclipse glasses. Let us help you increase the impact of your advertising with custom solar eclipse glasses printed with your own full colour design and marketing message. Minimum 4 weeks delivery - don't delay, order today. Please Contact Us for details. (Minimum order for customised printing is 5,000 eclipse glasses.)

Total Solar Eclipse : Wednesday 29 March 2006
What You Will See
A Total Eclipse beginning in Brazil at sunrise will be visible on Wednesday 29 March 2006. The path of the eclipse then crosses the Atlantic Ocean and passes through the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Libya, Egypt, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Chechnya, Dagestan, Kalmykia, Astrakhan, Kazakhstan, Siberia (Russia) and ends in Mongolia at sunset. Major towns and cities from which to see the total eclipse are Caico, Natal, Sekondi-Takoradi, Accra, Begoro, Atakpame, Saki, Jalu, Cyrenaics, Bardiya, Kumluca, Antalya, Konya, Amasya, Tokat, Ordu, Sokhumi, Sagiz, Rubtovsk, Biysk, Choya, Gorno-Altaysk, Kubayka, Kyzyl and Kazantsevo.
For anyone in England in the UK, most of Europe, Africa or Asia there will be a partial eclipse visible.

Further Details
Excellent web sites for further information about solar eclipses and how to view them safely can be found on our eclipse links page. A selection is listed here:
NASA Eclipse Information
Sheridan Williams' Solar Eclipse Web Site

Manufacturers safety endorsement
Our safe solar eclipse viewing glasses have received an independent safety endorsement from the foremost authority on eye safety during solar eclipses. Dr. Ralph Chou, professor of optometry at University of Waterloo, developed the eye safety standards for viewing solar eclipses.

"Solar Skreen® has had an excellent reputation for more than 25 years as a safe filter material for observing the sun and solar eclipses. I recommend it for both beginning and experienced solar observers." Dr. Ralph Chou.

Safety Warning:
Never directly look at the photosphere of the Sun (the bright disk of the Sun itself) with the naked eye or through an optical device such as a telescope, binoculars or an optical camera viewfinder. Even looking for just a few seconds could seriously damage your eye sight and possibly lead to permanent blindness. Your eyes and other optical devices concentrate the extremely strong visible and invisible radiation such as infrared and ultraviolet light from the Sun onto the retina. Which can permanently destroy the ability of the retina to detect light. The retina has no sensitivity to pain, so there is no warning that injury is occurring and the effects of retinal damage may not appear for hours.

To safely observe a solar eclipse you must use CE approved safety solar eclipse glasses such as those on sale here or use indirect methods such as pin hole projection onto a suitable surface (details of indirect methods can be found on the web sites listed on our eclipse links page).

Please note these solar eclipse glasses are not suitable for use with optical devices such as telescopes, binoculars or an optical camera viewfinder, you need stronger and larger solar eclipse filters than these to protect you from the magnified sun light when using optical devices.

Sunglasses are not safe, you will put your eye sight at risk by only wearing regular sunglasses or shades to directly view the sun, as they do not block the harmful and invisible radiation which causes retinal damage. Only properly designed and certified solar filters such as the ones in these eclipse glasses should ever be used for direct viewing of the Sun's disk.

Under normal everyday circumstances there is no tendency to look at the Sun in a way that might damage the eye. Especially as the Sun is so bright that it is difficult to stare at it directly. However, during an eclipse, the Sun is the centre of attention and with so much of the Sun covered, it is tempting and slightly easier to stare at it. Unfortunately, looking at the Sun during an eclipse is just as dangerous as looking at the Sun any other time of the year. The only exception is the brief period of totality during a total eclipse, when the Sun's disk is completely covered by the moon. (Totality only occurs during a total eclipse and only for a matter of seconds or minutes, it does not occur during a partial or annular eclipse).

Viewing totality during a total eclipse
During the total phase of a total solar eclipse is the only time it is safe to observe the Sun directly with the unaided eye, binoculars or a telescope, when the Sun's photosphere (the bright disk of the Sun itself) is completely covered by the Moon. Viewing the Sun during Totality is a very beautiful and spectacular sight, but it is too dim to be seen through filters. The Sun's faint corona will be visible, and even the chromosphere, solar prominences, and possibly even a solar flare may be seen. However, it is vitally important to stop directly viewing the Sun before the end of totality. The exact duration and time of totality will depend on the location from which the eclipse is being observed, and should be determined from a reliable source such as local astronomers, etc.

Note that it is never safe to directly look at the Sun during an annular or partial eclipse, because the Sun's disk is never completely obscured by the moon during this type of eclipse.