Londonderry set for spectacular view of eclipse

The only places in the northern hemisphere where the eclipse will be 100 percent complete will be the Faroe Islands and Norwegian island Svalbard.

But Scotland and Northern Ireland the eclipse will be more than 94 percent total. In places like Southampton and Portsmouth on the south English coast it will be less than 85 per cent total.

However the skies are expected to be clear over the south of England and Wales while further north there may be much heavier cloud cover.

Friday’s eclipse will begin at 8.45am. It will peak at 9.31am before finishing at 10.41am.

Friday’s is the biggest eclipse since 1999, but there have been a number of partial eclipses since then in 2006, 2008 and 2011.

The next total eclipse is not due to happen until 2026, although a partial eclipse will happen in 2018.

Anyone intending to watch the eclipse is reminded not to look directly at it, but to use a dimming lens, or reflect the effect onto a card.

Looking directly at the sun can cause permanent damage to the eyes.