Partial solar eclipse on Saturday, March 29, will be visible from the UK

The only solar eclipse visible from the UK this year is happening tomorrow (Saturday).

The eclipse is expected to cover around 40% of the sun down in the south, with up to 50% obscured in north-west Scotland.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, causing it to be obscured, plunging the Earth into a cold darkness.

In a partial solar eclipse it means the Sun's light will not be completely blocked off by the appearance of the Moon.

With the next total solar eclipse visible from the UK not happening until the year 2090 and this partial eclipse happening mid-morning on a weekend – the event tomorrow is sure to be an excellent replacement in the calendar for sky-gazers.

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich said the partial eclipse will begin at 10.07am and end around midday.

While it will last for nearly two hours, the peak – or the moment when the greatest amount of the Sun is blocked out by the passing Moon – is expected to happen at 11.03am.

How to see it

With the majority of off at the weekend, tomorrow's event could be a great occasion for all the family providing the weather allows.

The Met Office forecast for tomorrow is for a ‘fine and sunny start’ in the south, so things look promising.

But it is worth remembering that you should never look directly at the sun.

So in order to watch you can either tune into the Royal Observatory's live stream or – if you're feeling crafty – design your own pinhole projector through which to watch.

Even with only around 40% of the Sun likely to be obscured you should still avoid looking directly at the sky.