The USA is about to plunged into darkness... but don't worry, this time it is a good thing.
While folks in America will get to enjoy the visual majesty of a rare Total Solar Eclipse, in this part of the world, we'll only get to witness a partial version of the solar eclipse, which is actually much worse for anyone who might be looking up at the time.
Checking out the Total Solar Eclipse is totally fine on the eyeballs, but during the partial eclipse, the intensity of the brightness of the sun actually causes a type of sunburn on the cornea, which releases chemicals that causes pain and damage to the retina.
We'll get to see the moon take up about 10% of the sun's diameter from our position in the UK and Ireland, and should kick off around 7.20pm and should be visual for about 40 minutes after that.
Doctors recommend that if you do want to check out the partial eclipse, invest in a pair of eclipse glasses, or use a pinhole camera to check it out safely. DO NOT try to look at the it through sunglasses or a bin liner or anything like that, as they don't provide strong enough UV protection.
And if you're wondering when the next time might be before we get to see an impressive total eclipse of the heart of the sun in this part of the world again, we only have to wait until September 2090. Hooray.
