A partial solar eclipse is expected to be visible in Greater Manchester as it turns the skies across the UK a little darker than usual this morning.
The solar event – which usually only happens twice a year – will make the sun appear as it’s had “a bite taken out of it”, according to experts, and it will be visible from most of Europe, north Africa, the Middle East, and western parts of Asia.
The UK can expect to see the partial eclipse from just after 10am.
The typical Greater Manchester cloudy and rainy whether that usually graces us with its presence at this time of year often means that us Mancs don’t get much of a chance to see any solar or lunar events – but this time, with only partial cloud cover at play this morning, this may be one of our best shots to take a look up and see the eclipse it action.
Although it’s said that parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland are set to have the best views of the eclipse in the UK, astronomy fans in Greater Manchester should start to look up from 10:07am.
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The partial eclipse will then likely end at 11:51am.
A partial eclipse of the Sun will take place on the morning of Tuesday 25th October … but how can you view it safely? Here is a guide from the SPA:https://t.co/WOvAerDUl3pic.twitter.com/7Iyme6YmVE
“The amount of obscuration you’ll see will depend on where you are,” explained Jake Foster – astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich.
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“Those viewing from the UK will see between 10% and 20% of the sun covered by the moon. Even though a portion of the sun’s light will be blocked, it will not get noticeably darker in the UK during the eclipse.”
Dr Robert Massey, of the Royal Astronomical Society, said the phenomenon will cause the moon to block the view of “some or all of the bright solar surface”.
He also said the sun will “appear to have a bite taken out of it”.
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But, of course, when we say this is our best shot to ‘look up and see it action’, this does, however, come with a warning from experts.
A partial eclipse is to be visible across Greater Manchester this morning / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Dr Massey has warned that looking directly at the sun can cause serious damage to the eyes, and people should not view the event through binoculars, telescopes, or a telephoto lens on an SLR camera.
He added: “The simplest way to watch an eclipse is to use a pinhole in a piece of card. An image of the sun can then be projected on to another piece of card behind it (experiment with the distance between the two, but it will need to be at least 30cm).
“Under no circumstances should you look through the pinhole.”
Dr Massey said another popular method used to view an eclipse is the mirror projection method.
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Explaining a little more about the method, Dr Massey said: “You need a small, flat mirror and a means of placing it in the sun so that it reflects the sunlight into a room where you can view it on a wall or some sort of a flat screen. You may also have eclipse glasses with a certified safety mark, and these are available from specialist astronomy suppliers.
“Provided these are not damaged in any way, you can then view the sun through them.”
Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into foul-mouthed chaos
Danny Jones
The first press conference ahead of Tommy Fury vs Darren Till was held on Tuesday evening and it didn’t take long for the whole thing to descend into absolute bedlam.
Having only been confirmed on Sunday, Fury vs Till will be a homecoming bout for the Wythenshawe-born fighter who is set to headline the first-ever boxing match at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.
With the date set for 18 January, the pre-fight build-up and media frenzy are growing fast and things have already come to ahead in just the first meeting between the two fighters in London this week.
Clearly sharing plenty of bad blood already, while Tommy and Till were engaging in the usual fighting talk, the family patriarch, John Fury, decided to interject and it was at this point that things boiled over.
‼️ Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into chaos as Till tells John Fury: "Shut up, you haven't been seen since Oleksandr Usyk battered Tyson."
As you can see, amidst the various insults being thrown around regarding intelligence, boxing ability, Tommy’s older brother Tyson being “battered by [Oleksandr] Usyk”, ‘Big John’ then launches a bottle of water across the table at Till, sparking a hot-tempered on-stage skirmish.
The lengthy exchange features as many expletives as you could imagine, with 31-year-old Darren Till also threatening that he will “bladder” both Tommy and his more established heavyweight sibling Tyson, labelling the entire Fury family “shithouses” as they walk out of the London press conference.
A mixed martial artist by trade who has competed at both welterweight and middleweight in the UFC, Till assured that even if the boxing match isn’t going his way on the night, he will kick [him] square in [the] face”, adding that he’s a “proper fighter” and that Tommy, on the other hand, has no power.
YouTube turned musician and occasional boxer, KSI – the founder of the Misfits promotion who is putting on the event and who Fury beat back in October last year – can also be heard whooping from centre stage and shouting, “Get your tickets!”
Even after the mini-brawl is separated, the foul-mouthed back and forth continues for some time. You can see another angle here:
Press conference aftermath 🤯@darrentill2 was going IN on the Fury’s 😳
This isn’t the first time things have boiled over at a Fury press conference; in fact, it’s not even the first time John Fury, 59, has found himself in the very eye of the storm.
Meanwhile, the youngest Fury son is preparing first his first fight in over a year, having nearly joined this year’s I’m a Celeb lineup instead.
Tickets for the now highly-anticipated boxing match at Co-op Live, just the second combat sports event to have been held at the arena, are on sale now – you can grab yours HERE. It’s going to be a feisty one.
Greater Manchester cinemas are screening loads of classic Christmas films throughout December
Emily Sergeant
Cinemas across the UK will be screening loads of classic festive films in the run-up to Christmas, and you can already book tickets.
With the nights drawing in, the temperatures dropping by the day, and the most wonderful time of the year now firmly in our sights, film fans looking for some wholesome festive fun in the run-up to the big day itself will soon be able to head on down to their nearest Greater Manchester cinema to catch a classic on the big screen.
Vue, Odeon, and The Light are among the cinema chains set to screen a handful of beloved Christmas films throughout December.
Although there may already be a TV channel showing Christmas films 24/7 now on air in the UK, if you fancy seeing the festivities in full screen instead, then you can watch showings of fan-favourites like Elf, Home Alone, Love Actually, and more over the next few weeks.
Greater Manchester cinemas are screening loads of classic Christmas films throughout December / Credit: 20th Century Studios | Universal Pictures
You can also see seasonal screenings of live ballet, theatre, and concert performances too.
Undoubtably one of the highlights on the lineup this year, however, has to be The Polar Express, with several cinema chains scheduled to screen the 2004 animated Christmas gem to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release.
Starring Tom Hanks alongside a talented supporting cast of voice actors, The Polar Express is based on the beloved children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg and tells the story of a young boy who boards a powerful magical train to visit Santa Claus’ home on Christmas Eve, learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas along the way.
Elf, Home Alone, and Love Actually are among the films on the lineup / Credit: Krists Luhaers (via Unsplash)
Looking for a more intimate festive film experience this Christmas?
Well you can also get yourself down to one of Manchester’s most popular hotels, King Street Townhouse, where a jam-packed lineup of classics will be screened in its very-own exclusive cinema over the next two months.
Here you can also complete your seasonal experience with festive-themed cocktails, popcorn, pick n mix, and a whole host of other treats too.
Emily Sergeant -
25th October 2022 
