A rare partial solar eclipse will rise over parts of North America and Europe on Saturday 29 March 2025, offering early risers a dramatic display – including a 'double sunrise'.
“From wherever you see the eclipse, it will be a wonderful sight,” Prof Darren Baskill, astronomy lecturer at the University of Sussex, told BBC Science Focus. “It reminds us of the mechanics and natural rhythms of our solar system.”
The eclipse begins globally at 4:50am EDT (8:50am GMT) and ends by 8:43am EDT (12:43pm GMT), with maximum eclipse at 6:47am EDT (10:47am GMT).
It will be visible across 14 US states – Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia – as well as Washington DC and parts of eastern Canada.
For viewers in the US, the event will take place from 6:13am through to 7:17am EDT.
Maine will have some of the best views, with up to 85 per cent of the Sun obscured in areas like Presque Isle. In Maine too, along with New Brunswick and Quebec, the eclipse will already be in progress at sunrise to a large enough extent to give rise to the rare 'double sunrise' effect.
This occurs when, as the crescent Sun rises, the two pointed tips – sometimes called “devil’s horns” – appear to rise separately, creating the brief illusion of two suns emerging from the horizon.
Read more from BBC Sky at Night:
- Why this weekend's solar eclipse is great for kids and families, and why I'll be watching it with my own
- Don't have eclipse glasses? You can watch this weekend's solar eclipse safely using this cheap, easy method
- The best, safest ways to view a solar eclipse, from low-cost, simple options to expert astronomer techniques
“It’ll look quite weird. Instead of seeing a semicircle coming up as you would normally, there’ll be a bite out of it,” said Prof Peter Gallagher, solar physicist at DIAS Dunsink Observatory, speaking to BBC Science Focus. “That’ll be really cool looking, for sure.”
To view the eclipse safely, use certified eclipse glasses or solar filters on cameras and telescopes. Do not look at the Sun without protection.
Gallagher also suggested looking at the ground under trees during the eclipse: “The gaps between the branches and leaves essentially form lots of pinhole cameras, projecting tiny crescent shapes onto the ground.
“It’s one of the most beautiful things about partial solar eclipses, I think; seeing all these tiny eclipses all over the place.”
Can’t get outside? The Royal Observatory Greenwich will be streaming the event live from 10:00am GMT.
Read more:
- Solar eclipse 2025: How and where to see the cosmic event of the year
- Solar eclipse: The 20 best photos from 2024’s celestial spectacle
- Why are solar eclipses rarer than lunar eclipses?
About our experts
Darren Baskill is an outreach officer and lecturer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sussex. He previously lectured at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, where he also initiated the annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.
Peter Gallagher leads solar physics and space weather research and is Head of the Astrophysics Section at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. His reseach is primarly concerned with understanding the fundamental physics of solar storms and their impacts on Earth. He has a long association with ESA and NASA, and is head of the I-LOFAR radio telescope project at Birr Castle and Dunsink Observatory.
