Moment man uses colander at packed London park to watch the eclipse... and he's not alone

By SOPHIA STANFORD, NEWS REPORTER and TOM HUSSEY Published: 20:45, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 00:39, 13 August 2026 This is the amusing moment a man tries to watch the solar eclipse with a colander. Huge crowds of Brits assembled on Wednesday evening in parks, along the coast and popular lookout spots to watch the partial solar eclipse. While enthusiasts were strongly advised against looking at the sun without protection, homemade methods were tested to see the eclipse - one of which included a colander. Although it may sound unusual, the light coming through the narrow holes will appear as a crescent-like shadow as the moon's shadow covers the sun. However, some users may not have been successful - as one man seemed to discover in a packed park in London. The elderly gentleman was seen holding up a small colander with his back to the sun with a piece of paper behind the sieve, although it did not immediately appear to show the intended effect.  Around him were other spectators trying to catch the eclipse with colanders and other homemade forms of viewing, like a pinhole eclipse viewer.    Dr Megan Argo, an astrophysicist from the University of Lancaster, told the Daily Mail: 'The safest way for the public to enjoy the eclipse is to view it indirectly. An elderly gentleman was seen holding up a small colander with his back to the sun with a piece of paper behind the sieve to try watch the solar eclipse He was not alone as other members of the public used a colander to observe a partial solar eclipse from Brockwell Park in South London A woman uses a colander to view the partial solar eclipse at Parliament Hill Arsenal fans are seen using cardboard and a colander to try and see the solar eclipse prior to the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal FC and Como Calcio at Emirates Stadium A man watches the solar eclipse through a colander in Regents Park, London, the first total solar eclipse visible over mainland Europe since 1999 'Standing beneath a leafy tree creates hundreds of tiny images of the Sun on the ground, which gradually change into crescents as the eclipse progresses. 'The same effect works with a kitchen colander or a simple homemade pinhole camera.' The simplest way to have safely watched the natural phenomenon would be to use a pair of 'eclipse glasses' with very dark lenses to block out most of the sun's harmful light. However, many glasses sold out days in advance of the eclipse, causing frantic queues as spectators dashed to get the last few remaining pairs and created snaking queues. The partial eclipse began shortly after 6pm in parts of the UK, with maximum coverage occurring at roughly 7.05pm to 7.13pm depending on location, before the Moon gradually moved away from the Sun and the spectacle ended shortly after 8pm.  The extraordinary event has also prompted warnings of disruption, with huge crowds travelling to prime viewing spots and concerns that distracted motorists could cause accidents as drivers turn their attention towards the skies.  Julie Andrews, 90, announces her retirement from acting as she confirms that she won't return for Princess Diaries 3