On 20th March 2015, for the first time in 16 years , we are due for a solar eclipse. It will be partial throughout the UK, and the further north you are, the more of the Sun will be in eclipse. The eclipse will start at about 08.30 and end at 10.30. With Leeds an example, you can see what it will look like observed from the Earth.

The Royal Astronomical Society have produced a resource, which can be found here. It contains information on how to safely, and cheaply, observe a solar eclipse. It also explains more about what solar eclipses are, and what you should expect to see.

BBC Stargazing Live programmes have been scheduled to coincide with the eclipse, this year. Running from the 18-20 March, the programme is again hosted by comedian Dara O’Briain and Professor Brian Cox. You can also access resources for running your own star parties from the BBC website.

So what happens if it’s cloudy? Well, it will still get dark, even if you can’t view the Sun, and you can always view a past eclipse online to see what you would be missing.

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