As a partial solar eclipse sweeps across the sky this evening, Londoners and Canadians alike are scrambling for certified viewing glasses.
Londoners are scrambling to get their hands on specialist glasses to watch the most significant solar eclipse in a generation.
The rare celestial event takes place today, with the moon set to cover around 90 to 92% of the sun, and Londoners have been going to great lengths to make sure they don't miss it.
Queues have snaked around shops and stalls at locations including Old Spitalfields Market, Bond Street, Wimbledon, Arsenal and Greenwich in the hunt for a pair of specialist glasses.
In many Canadian cities, retailers are also reporting long lines as residents seek the same ISO‑certified protection.
The eclipse will begin at 6.17pm, reaching its maximum at 7.12pm, before coming to an end at 8.06pm.
The Standard will be providing a live stream of the eclipse.
Where to buy certified glasses
Video: Queues for glasses inside a convenience store in Whitechapel. A shopkeeper in Whitechapel has said he has been so busy with the selling of glasses for the solar eclipse that he's barely had any time to eat.
Queues have snaked around the block of the AM2PM store, with owner Ali Raza being forced to turn people away.
He said that customers were making extensive journeys to locate the specialist glasses.
"On Sunday we had people coming from Surrey, Southend‑on‑Sea, yesterday night a lady came from Southampton, and loads of people have come from Birmingham as well. We're too busy," he said.
"Today I already sold 6,000 pairs. At 2.30am we had a delivery from Spain and by 9.30am we sold out everything."
Royal Observatory astronomer reveals what to look for in solar eclipse glasses.
Viewing tips for Canadians and Americans
Consumers have been warned against using "knock‑off" glasses to watch the event and eye doctors urged people to avoid looking directly at the sun, with even brief exposure causing lasting vision damage.
Only special solar eclipse glasses that are ISO 12312‑2 certified for the safest eye protection should be used to view the eclipse and sunglasses are not sufficient, experts said.
Following the 1999 total solar eclipse, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists reported around 70 cases of people experiencing vision problems after watching the eclipse.
Around 40% had looked at it for less than a minute.
Students from Saint Ursula's Covent Secondary School in Greenwich pose for a photograph wearing protective glasses at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
The solar eclipse has sent Londoners into a frenzy this week, as thousands of people have tried to get their hands on a pair of specialised glasses to watch the solar eclipse.
Hundreds of people queued at Old Spitalfields Market yesterday to get a pair, with other known locations in Wimbledon, Greenwich, Arsenal and Bond Street.
But, the glasses are selling out fast and locations are popping up and disappearing quickly.
Some individuals are selling glasses online, but be wary, as they might be counterfeit.
You must use specialist solar eclipse glasses that are explicitly certified to meet the ISO 12312‑2 international safety standard.
Major retailers have sold out of specialist glasses as Brits prepare for the best solar eclipse in decades.
More than 90% of the sun will be obscured by the moon between 6.17pm and 8.06pm on Wednesday, the most it has been blocked above UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999.
Convenience stores, national parks and the Royal Observatory Greenwich have all exhausted their glasses supplies ahead of the eclipse, which will be the country's fullest for the next 54 years.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory said it had sold approximately 15,000 pairs of eclipse glasses, a sellout, in the last month.
London's hills and open spaces will be the best places to watch the solar eclipse on Wednesday evening.
The eclipse will begin at 6.17pm and the height of the eclipse is expected at 7.13pm. From London, it will last around 1 hour and 49 minutes until 8.06pm.
Here is a list of some of the best vantage points in the capital: Greenwich Park, Telegraph Hill, Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill, Crystal Palace.
As the event is not a total eclipse, the sky will not turn completely dark.
Instead, London is expected to fall into an unusual twilight, with the light taking on the appearance of an overcast day.
There may also be a sudden drop in temperature and changes in wind conditions as the eclipse reaches its peak.
Follow our live blog for all the latest updates as London watches the eclipse unfold.