Skygazers will be treated to a partial solar eclipse over the UK this week – as the moon passes between the earth and the sun.

On Thursday morning, it will be possible too see nearly a third of the sun being blocked out by the moon in what is known as an annular eclipse.

These only occur every one or two years, when the sun and moon are exactly in line with the earth but the apparent size of the moon is smaller than that of the sun.

This causes the sun to appear as a very bright ring, or annulus, in a phenomenon dubbed the “ring of fire”.

However, observers in the UK and Ireland will see a crescent sun instead of a ring, as this will be a partial eclipse.

The ring of fire will be visible from Russia, Greenland and northern Canada.

Even though for the UK, a large part of the solar disc will be covered, experts have warned that looking at the partially eclipsed sun without appropriate protection can cause serious and permanent damage to the eyes.

Dr Emily Drabek-Maunder, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said: “Never look at the sun directly or use standard sunglasses, it can cause serious harm to your eyes.”

Dr Drabek-Maunder suggests using a simple pinhole projector, solar eclipse viewing glasses – which can be purchased online, or special solar filters – which can fit on telescopes, to observe the eclipse.

She said: “You can make a projector by poking a small hole into a piece of card.

“Hold the card up to the sun so that light shines through the hole and on to a piece of paper behind the card.

“You will be able to see the shape of the sun projected on to the piece of paper and watch its shape change as the Moon passes in front of the sun.”

She said the phenomenon would begin at 10.08am on 10 June in the UK, with the maximum eclipse occurring at 11.13am, when the moon will cover close to one-third of the sun.

The partial eclipse will end at 12.22pm.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich will be live-streaming the eclipse on its website and YouTube channel.

Related posts:

Body found by police in Epping Forest lake confirmed as missing Richard Okorogheye Fee for legally changing gender to drop to ‘about £5’ from £140 What can you do from 17 May when COVID restrictions are relaxed? Whale put down after becoming stranded in River Thames in London Rules on face masks could be changed next month – health secretary Police search cafe for body linked to missing teenager feared killed by Fred West A-level grades at record high after exams cancelled for second year Fake shoes, bags and perfume among huge £500m haul of counterfeit items seized UK records 37,622 new COVID infections and further 147 deaths, latest daily figures show Macron claims British government ‘doesn’t do what it says’ amid strained relations Geronimo the alpaca ‘killed for nothing’ as post-mortem reveals it did not have TB Harry seeks judicial review after Home Office stops him from paying for police protection in UK