A total solar eclipse will plunge North America into darkness later today as the moon blocks the sun’s light.
The rare occurrence, which effectively sees the moon cast a huge shadow over the Earth, will see many Americans flocking to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.
Many people here in the North East will be wanting to see the event for themselves.
While the total solar eclipse visible across the pond won’t be visible from the UK, a partial eclipse may be visible close to sunset.
Anyone wishing to catch a glimpse will have their best chance between about 7.50pm and 8.50pm.
How the eclipse looks depends on your location, due to the angles between you, the moon and sun. Some parts of the UK such as Manchester and Cardiff are expected to have the best potential views.
In our region calculations predict about 1% of the sun will be covered.
How the eclipse will look also depends on weather conditions and how clear the sky is.
The partial eclipse occurs when part of the sun is covered by the moon.
Because the Moon is much smaller than the Earth, its shadow only covers a small area of the Earth’s surface. Any solar eclipse therefore will only be visible from certain parts of the planet.
Experts have warned of the dangers of looking directly at the Sun during an eclipse.
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Despite the sun appearing blocked, its light can still be hitting the Earth's surface and can cause damage to the eyes.
The eclipse can be viewed safely through real solar eclipse glasses. However the safest, one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to view the event is by pinhole projection – make a hole in a piece of card, hold it under the Sun, and hold a piece of paper behind the card.
Using this method, people should be able to see the shape of the Sun projected onto the paper, taking away the need to look directly at the Sun.
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