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.”
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
You can now have a private sleepover amongst all the history inside Manchester Museum
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum is now offering one lucky family the chance to have a sleepover with Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex.
For the first time in Manchester Museum’s history, one lucky family will be given the chance to experience an incredible night at the museum.
This unique opportunity is being offered as part of a prize draw, allowing visitors to find out what happens once the sun goes down inside the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery – in the company of Stan, the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, of course.
The Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery is one of the most iconic spaces within Manchester Museum.
Having opened to the public all the way back in 1888, it’s part of the museum’s original building designed by celebrated Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum.
Not only will the lucky winning family enjoy an overnight stay in the gallery, but they’ll also be treated to a guided torchlight tour of the galleries after the Museum has closed, as well as other fun activities and a film screening too before bed.
You can now have a private sleepover inside Manchester Museum / Credit: The Manc Group
“We can’t be completely sure what happens when the sun goes down in our Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery, because nobody has ever spent the night in there before, but we can only imagine the kind of fun that can be had with Stan the T. rex and his friends,” said Dean Whiteside, Head of Commercial and Operations at Manchester Museum.
“This is a chance to be a part of museum history and enjoy the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience you can’t usually buy.
“At the same time, Manchester Museum is a charity so, by getting behind this initiative, you’ll be helping to support vital work that impacts the lives of people across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Fancy it then? You can enter the prize draw by buying a ticket for £5 from the Manchester Museum Shop, with each ticket counting as one entry and the winner set to be chosen at random from all valid entries.
The prize draw is now open and closes on Monday 28 September 2026.
Emily Sergeant -
25th October 2022 
