This weekend there will be more astronomical action in the form of a partial solar eclipse
This weekend brings more astronomical action for those gazing skywards – a partial solar eclipse.
Just two weeks after the blood moon lunar eclipse and a month after the rare planetary parade of all seven planets, the skies will briefly darken this weekend as a result of an eclipse.
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth but the three are not perfectly aligned. This means only part of the Sun is obscured by the Moon rather than all of it in a full eclipse.
Daylight won’t disappear completely but the light will be dimmed slightly.
TONYPANDY, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 20: A rare partial solar eclipse is seen over the Miner's Family Statue in Tonypandy in South Wales on March 20, 2015 in Tonypandy, Wales, United Kingdom. The solar eclipse, which occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, started at 08:24 GMT and continues until 10:41 GMT, with the maximum obscuration of the Sun happening at 09:31 GMT. The last significant solar eclipse visible from the UK was on 11 August, 1999. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
A partial solar eclipse will be visible in the UK on Saturday (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty)
When is the partial solar eclipse?
The partial solar eclipse will be visible in the UK on Saturday 29 March.
It will begin at around 10am (GMT), will be at its maximum coverage at about 11am and will be over by about midday.
As this is a partial eclipse, only between 30-40 per cent of the Sun will be obscured at the maximum point.
What will the weather be like?
The forecast for the UK on Saturday is for a frosty start, dry in most places with rain possible in the West, according to the Met Office.
London and the South East is expected to be dry and bright on Saturday, the South West along with the Midlands will also be largely dry.
The East of England will be dry and bright, as will the North East and North West. Wales has a similar forecast, while Scotland will start dry with wetter weather moving eastwards.
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2024/04/08: People gather at Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn to witness a partial solar eclipse.?? Thousands gathered in parks and open spaces across the city to view up to 90% of the sun covered by the moon. (Photo by Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Solar eclipses should only be viewed using special viewing glasses (Photo: Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty)
Tips for viewing the eclipse safely
You should never look directly at the Sun as it can cause serious damage to eyes or even blindness.
To see the partial solar eclipse, observers will need to wear eye protection such as solar eclipse viewing glasses.
Otherwise, the Royal Museum Greenwich, home of the Royal Observatory, will be providing a live stream of the event with coverage starting at 10am on Saturday 29 March.
A safer and cheaper method is to view it by creating a pinhole camera. Nasa provides details on how to make one here.
How often do we get partial solar eclipses?
Partial solar eclipses are actually a relatively frequent occurrence, with between two and five each year. But not all are visible from the UK.
The next partial eclipse to be seen from the UK will be on 12 August, 2026. It will almost be a total eclipse as 90 per cent of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon at the maximum, beginning at 6.17pm (BST) and reaching its peak at 7.13pm.
A total solar eclipse is a rarer event, visible from somewhere on Earth about every 18 months. However, total solar eclipses are only seen from the same place on Earth approximately every 400 years.
The last total eclipse seen from the UK was in 1999 and was only really visible in the South West of England. The next one will be on 23 September, 2090, beginning at around 5.30pm (BST), reaching maximum at 6.31pm and ending at 7.25pm.