Summary

  1. Partial solar eclipse about to begin – watch it livepublished at 09:59 Greenwich Mean Time 29 March

    If you're not one of the lucky ones who can head outside and safely look up at the sky (with eclipse glasses, of course), we've got you covered.

    You can watch our live coverage of the partial solar eclipse. Just hit the Watch live button at the top of this page.

  2. What is a solar eclipse?published at 09:37 Greenwich Mean Time 29 March

    A composite image showing variants of solar eclipses

    A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, blocking its light.

    It's a special cosmic event where the Sun, Moon and Earth all have to line up for it to happen.

    Depending on how they line up, there are different types of eclipses that are visible from the Earth.

    A partial eclipse - which will happen today - is when the Moon only covers part of the Sun.

    A total eclipse is when the Sun is completely blocked by the Moon, causing the sky to go dark as there isn't enough light from the Sun.

    There's also something called an annular eclipse, where the Moon is in front of the Sun, but is too far away from Earth to completely block it.

    In an annular eclipse, it looks like there's a dramatic ring of fire around the Moon - but this is just the part of the Sun that hasn't been covered up.

    Graphic showing the position of the Sun, Moon and Earth during a solar eclipse
  3. Is the weather good for viewing today?published at 09:17 Greenwich Mean Time 29 March

    Matt Taylor
    Lead Weather Presenter

    Many early risers will have been greeted by optimistically clear and sunny skies.

    Those in central and eastern England and the Channel Islands can hold onto that optimism as the sunny skies will continue throughout the event. Even the high cloud that is drifting in from the west will not spoil the view.

    However, as is often the case with these things, the weather is set to produce a spoiler for some as Atlantic weather fronts roll in from the west.

    While many other areas of England, Wales and eastern Scotland could still see reasonable breaks and glimpses of the sun through the increasing layers of cloud, for western Scotland and Northern Ireland the chance of seeing anything of the sun will be severely limited.

    A map illustrating the weather across the UK
  4. How to view the solar eclipsepublished at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 29 March

    You should never look directly at the Sun - even during an eclipse.

    We won't see complete darkness for this partial solar eclipse and the strength of the sun could be damaging to your eyes, external.

    If you do want to view it, you can use solar glasses or make your own pinhole camera, external.

    It is also possible to view the eclipse from some observatories that provide solar telescopes to look at the sun or alternatively they might have a livestream of the event.

    To see the eclipse you're simply going to need to look in the direction of the Sun using the right protective eyewear.

    In the UK, this will be towards the south and the sun will be approaching its highest point in the sky.

    Graphic showing how to view a solar eclipse safely
    Graphic showing how to view a solar eclipse safely using solar glasses
    Graphic showing how to view a solar eclipse safely using a pinhole projector
    Graphic showing how to view a solar eclipse safely using binoculars with a filter attachment
  5. A watcher’s guide to the solar eclipsepublished at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 29 March

    The partial solar eclipse will start at 10:07 GMT and finish at 12:00.

    According to the Royal Astronomical Society, the Moon will reach its maximum coverage of the Sun at around 11:00 – that’s when the eclipse will look most dramatic.

    The good news is that everyone in the UK should be able to see the partial eclipse.

    A map showing the partial eclipse in the UK, with times of maximum eclipse at various locations
  6. Welcome as the Moon gets ready to take a bite out of the Sunpublished at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 29 March

    Get ready – weather permitting, you’ll be able to see the Moon take a “bite” out of the Sun this morning.

    This will be a partial eclipse, not a total one – around 30% to 50% of the Sun will be covered by the Moon at its peak.

    No need to skip your Saturday lie-in – it all kicks off at about 10:00 GMT and should wrap up by midday.

    In London, the eclipse is expected to peak at 11:00, but that time will vary depending on where you are.

    We’ll be covering the whole thing right here – and you’ll be able to watch a live stream from around 10:00 GMT, with footage coming in from observatories around the world at the top of the page.