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UK Warns Eclipse Glasses Needed to Prevent Retinal Damage

8/13/2026

Summary

UK Agency Warns

UK Health Security Agency warned that looking directly at the August 12, 2026 solar eclipse without ISO 12312-2 certified glasses can cause permanent retinal damage.
College of Optometrists said it is never safe to look at the sun during an eclipse stage and that CE or UKCA-marked glasses meet ISO 12312-2.
Experts advised viewing such as live broadcasts or pinhole projectors and warned that unfiltered binoculars, telescopes, cameras or smartphones cause retinal burns.

Summary

Eclipse Crosses US

The eclipse begins at 11:34 a.m. ET and reaches peak at 1:46 p.m. ET across the United States.
Totality will cross eastern Greenland, western Iceland, northern Spain and a corner of northeastern Portugal.
Exeter observers may notice a rapid temperature drop and silent wildlife as the sky darkens.
The eclipse aligns with the Perseid meteor shower peak, offering dark-sky shooting-star viewing after midnight.

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UK Agency Warns

UK Health Security Agency warned that looking directly at the August 12, 2026 solar eclipse without ISO 12312-2 certified glasses can cause permanent retinal damage.
College of Optometrists said it is never safe to look at the sun during an eclipse stage and that CE or UKCA-marked glasses meet ISO 12312-2.
Experts advised viewing such as live broadcasts or pinhole projectors and warned that unfiltered binoculars, telescopes, cameras or smartphones cause retinal burns.

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