Solar eclipse March 2025: Exact time and where to see solar eclipse and best locations in UK

A March solar eclipse is on the horizon, visible from the UK at the end of this month.

There are around three to five solar eclipses each year.

A total solar eclipse is a highly rare occurrence, happening around 400 years.

Although the next full solar eclipse won’t be happening till 2090, a partial solar eclipse is set to take place in the coming weeks.

On Saturday March 29, 2025, the moon will pass over the sun giving rise to the eclipse.

Star gazers and astronomy fans should have eyes to the skies at exactly 10.07am when the moon’s leading edge will first make contact with the edge of the sun.

How long will the solar eclipse last for?

It will appear as if the sun is being bitten into over the course of nearly two hours.

The greatest point of the eclipse will be at 11.05am.

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In total, the partial eclipse is expected to last for around one hour and 53 minutes.

What happens during a solar eclipse?

A full solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and sun to fully block out the sun, giving rise to darkness from the area where it is observed.

A partial solar eclipse occurs when only a small section of the sun is covered by the moon.

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The point when the sun is entirely covered by the moon is called totality and can be viewed by the naked eye.

Experts recommend wearing eclipse glasses during the points leading up to, and after totality to help protect your eyes.

Where is the best place to see the partial eclipse in March 2025?

According to BBC Sky At Night magazine, the partial solar eclipse occurs at an altitude over 34° making it fairly easy to be viewed from around the UK.

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The best spot to view the partial eclipse will be Scotland where 47.8% of the sun will be blocked by the moon.

In contrast, the southeast of England will have the smallest eclipse with only 28.1% of the sun blocked by the moon.

How to observe the eclipse according to experts

There are guidelines to follow to observe the partial eclipse safely.

Telescope

You need to take precautions if seeing the eclipse via telescope, a full-aperture certified safety filter is recommended.

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Don’t worry if you don’t have a telescope, you can use two pieces of white card to create a solar projection. Cut a tiny hole around 1mm in one piece of card which will let the sun’s light filter through, showing a small, pinhole image on the screen card.

What you will see on the card is a projected visual of a tiny representation of the partial eclipse.

Hydrogen-alpha solar viewing kit

Those viewing the eclipse using a hydrogen-alpha solar viewing kit could be in for a bonus viewing, as there are more features visible in the sun’s chromosphere to reference the progression of the moon.

Experts expect the solar cycle to peak this year, meaning the sun’s disc could have more intriguing features.

We would love to see your photos of the solar eclipse, please do email us at [email protected]