Wednesday’s solar eclipse is the most significant eclipse event seen in the UK since 1999 - but you must not look at the sun directly. Here the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) shares key information.

A partial solar eclipse will be visible in parts of the UK and Ireland tomorrow evening, when around 90%-96% of the sun will be covered by the moon.

This will be the most significant eclipse event seen in the UK since the 1999 solar eclipse, which was total from parts of South West England.

Here in Lancashire the weather is forecast hot and clear, making the temptation to stare directly at the sun even higher - but looking at the sun can cause severe eye damage even if it’s cloudy. So here’s key advice from an eye expert.

Poonam Patel, Eye Health Information Service Manager for RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) shared the following tips to make sure you protect your eyes while observing this rare event.

Never look directly at the sun during an eclipse with the naked eye, sunglasses, a camera, binoculars or a telescope, as this can cause permanent retinal damage. Special solar filters designed for eclipse viewing are required.

Looking directly at the sun during an eclipse can cause solar retinopathy, a type of retinal injury that may lead to permanent blind spots, distorted vision or reduced central vision.

Retinal damage is painless and symptoms may not appear immediately. Anyone who notices changes in their vision after viewing an eclipse should seek prompt assessment from an optometrist or eye care professional.

Only eclipse viewers that comply with the international safety standard ISO 12312-2 should be used for direct viewing of a solar eclipse. Glasses should be checked for scratches, tears or other damage before use and discarded if damaged. Reusing old eclipse glasses should be done with extreme caution in case damage to the lenses has compromised their filtering properties.

Such a high percentage solar eclipse will not be seen again in this part of the world until 2090

placeholder image — Such a high percentage solar eclipse will not be seen again in this part of the world until 2090

Never use eclipse glasses together with binoculars, telescopes or cameras unless the equipment itself has a properly fitted solar filter designed for that device.

The reduced brightness during an eclipse can make it feel more comfortable to look at the sun, meaning people may look for longer and expose their eyes to harmful levels of solar radiation.

Cloudy conditions do not make it safe to look directly at the sun.

Ordinary sunglasses, no matter how dark, do not provide sufficient protection. Wearing multiple pairs of sunglasses does not mitigate the risk.

The safest ways to observe an eclipse are indirect methods, such as projecting the image through a pinhole or using a colander to cast the sun's image onto a surface. DO NOT look directly at the sun through the pinhole or colander.

Children should be supervised when viewing an eclipse.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich will also be live-streaming the partial solar eclipse from 6.10pm on Wednesday, 12 August and has lots more information about when and where to see the eclipse on its website.

For general information about looking after your eyes, visit the RNIB website.