STAR-gazers are preparing for an ‘unmissable’ event in our skies this week that will not be repeated for another decade.
A near-total solar eclipse is expected to bring out hundreds of sky-watchers eager to witness the phenomenon as the moon moves in front of the Sun on Friday.
They include people who will be travelling on the Southampton-based P&O cruise ship Oriana.
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Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA), will be on the boat sailing into Scandinavia.
He said: ''We won't experience totality in the UK but it will still be a memorable event. Depending on where you are, up to 90 per cent of the Sun will be covered over.
''You'd think everything would go virtually black, but it doesn't, it's about equal to a fair bit of high cloud in front of the Sun. But it has this eerie quality, especially on a clear day. You think, hang on, it's getting darker, but there are no clouds.''
Around the UK the proportion of the Sun covered by the Moon will increase towards the north, ranging from 84 per cent in London to 89 per cent in Manchester, 93 per cent in Edinburgh, and 97 per cent in Lerwick in the Shetland Isles.
In Southampton the eclipse will be visible at around 9.28am, with around 85 per cent of the sun covered.
The last solar eclipse of such significance occurred on August 11, 1999, and was ''total'' - with 100 per cent of the Sun covered - when seen from Cornwall.
Another ''deep'' partial eclipse visible in the UK will not occur until August 12, 2026, and the next total eclipse not until September 2090.
Experts from the Royal Astronomical Society, the SPA, the Royal Observatory, the Royal College of Opthalmologists, and the College of Optometrists together offered advice on safety and warned of the perils of sun-watching.
Mr Scagell pointed out: ''Unlike every other eclipse of any size, this one takes place right in the middle of the rush hour. It's not the best time from a safety point of view.
''We've always had this problem with partial eclipses in particular. You need to cut down the light of the Sun by an enormous amount before you can look at it safely.
''Sunglasses are useless and even things like food packing and bin liners that look as if they're made of dense material can let through infrared light and burn your retina.
''A partial eclipse is more risky by far than a total eclipse because people don't realise that even looking at a thin sliver of Sun is dangerous.
''It's absolutely true that there is a serious risk to people's eyesight. If people can't find a way to view the eclipse correctly then they shouldn't look because they're likely to damage their eyes.''
Together with the SPA, the Royal Astronomical Society has produced a booklet on how to view the eclipse safely.
Popular methods involve projecting an image from a telescope or binoculars on to a piece of white card, using a mirror to cast the image on to a wall, or making a pin-hole viewer from pieces of card or a cereal box that acts like a lens.
An ordinary colander can also be used to produce multiple eclipse images on a piece of paper.
Total solar eclipses can be seen somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, but are considered rare events that recur at any given location just once every 360 to 410 years.
A solar eclipse takes place when the Earth, Moon and Sun are aligned and the Moon's shadow touches the Earth's surface.
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