Tomorrow (August 12) is your chance to witness a solar eclipse without risking your eyesight. All you need are four household items to create a pinhole projector that will safely show the celestial spectacle.

A total solar eclipse will be visible in areas such as Spain, Russia, Portugal, Greenland and Iceland, while parts of Europe and Africa will experience only a partial one. The UK is in for a treat at around 6 pm, provided you have the right tools to view it safely.

Never look directly at the sun during an eclipse without proper equipment like solar eclipse glasses (check that they have the ISO 12312-2:2015 certificate). Sunglasses won’t do and neither will stacking them. Your camera or phone can act as a makeshift telescope, causing serious damage to your eyesight. For photography enthusiasts, you’ll need a specialized filter.

Despite the last-minute preparations needed, there’s another cosmic event just after midnight: the Perseid meteor shower. This means that keen stargazers and photographers can enjoy spotting shooting stars without straining their eyes.