This Friday is the first time that the spectacle – when the
Earth, Moon and Sun align – will happen during a busy modern-day
commute.
Motorists have been urged not to take their eyes off the road during the eclipse as it could
cause an accident.
Around the UK the proportion of the Sun covered
by the Moon during the near-total solar eclipse 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.
Times will also vary. In London, the eclipse begins at
8.24am, reaches its maximum extent at 9.31am, and ends at 10.41am. For
observers in Edinburgh, the eclipse starts at 8.30am and peaks at 9.35
am. 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.
A Highways Agency spokesperson said:
“Safety is a top priority. As always, we advise road users to drive
carefully, adjusting their driving according to weather and road
conditions and during the eclipse we’d ask them to do the same.”
Only the Faroe Islands and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard will see a total eclipse.
Mr
Scagell explained that partial eclipses leave “a thin sliver of the
sun”, which he noted can make sun-watching even more dangerous.
He
added: “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.”
A primary
school in Cardiff has already announced plans to ban pupils from
watching the eclipse due to health and safety concerns, according to
WalesOnline.
The Royal Astronomical Society and Society
for Popular Astronomy have both called on the public to use safe viewing
methods such as special viewing glasses and pinhole cameras. The Met
Office forecasts largely clear skies on Friday, though a spokesman said
some parts of the country, particularly the north-west, may see some
cloud cover.
