On Saturday 29 March 2025, a partial solar eclipse was visible from the UK, Europe and northeasterly parts of the USA and Canada.
This partial solar eclipse occurred on a Saturday morning – 10am to be exact – making it a great event for kids and families.
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The partial solar eclipse on 29 March 2025 began with first contact at 10:07 UT, when the Moon’s leading edge first made contact with the edge of the Sun.
After this, an ever-increasing bite was taken out of the Sun’s disc until the point of greatest eclipse at 11:05 UT.
Gallery: 29 March 2025 eclipse in pictures
Partial solar eclipse explained
During a total solar eclipse, the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun and blocks out the Sun entirely, plunging the area from which it's observed into quiet darkness.
A partial solar eclipse means that only a portion of the Sun is covered by the Moon. It looks as tough the Moon's silhouette is taking a bite out of the solar disk.
When a total solar eclipse reaches 'totality', the point at which the entirety of the Sun is covered by the Moon, it's possible to view with the naked eye, provided you exercise caution.
During the phases leading up to and after totality, eclipse glasses must be worn.
For a partial solar eclipse, eclipse glasses (or solar filters or solar telescopes for that matter) must be worn for the duration, as not doing so could damage your eyesight.
Find out more via the American Astronomical Society's top tips for choosing safe eclipse glasses.
Seeing the 29 March partial solar eclipse
The whole of the 29 March partial solar eclipse occurred at an altitude over 34°, making it well placed for UK viewing.
The best place to see it was the northwest of Scotland, where 47.8% of the Sun was covered by the Moon.
The southeast of England got the smallest eclipse, with only 28.1% of the Sun hidden by the Moon.
How to observe an eclipse
A partial eclipse of the Sun is amazing to observe and there are many ways to do this safely.
If you plan to view or image an eclipse through a telescope, you need to take full solar precautions and a full-aperture certified solar safety filter is required.
Another safe method for observing the eclipse is to use a piece of white card as a screen and another piece of card for solar projection.
A 1–2mm hole created in the projection card allows the Sun’s light to pass through, projecting a pinhole image onto the screen card.
The projected image is a small but perfectly formed representation of the eclipse.
For those with hydrogen-alpha solar viewing kit (note, not hydrogen-alpha deep-sky filters, which are not suitable), the eclipse progress is given an interesting boost.
There are many more light and dark features visible within the Sun’s chromosphere to use as a gauge for how the Moon is progressing.
Seeing the sharp profile of the Moon’s edge cutting across any visible prominences is a stirring sight.
Find out more about these filters in our guide on how to photograph solar activity.
Sunspots or equivalent features provide a useful backdrop to visualise the Moon’s motion in its orbit.
Find out more in our guide on how to observe a solar eclipse.
Watching the 29 March solar eclipse online
The solar eclipse of 29 March 2025 was streamed online by the Royal Observatory Greenwich. You can rewatch the livestream below.
If you observed or photographed the 29 March 2025 partial solar eclipse, get in touch via contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
