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.”
Manchester’s skyline crowned one of the most ‘beautiful’ in the world
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s skyline is constantly changing.
Every day, it seems as though a new crane pops up, or plans get submitted to build another new building that’ll alter the landscape of our city, and although some residents aren’t the biggest fan of this, others can still see Manchester‘s beauty regardless.
There are some stunning – and truly iconic – skylines across the world, from New York City to Dubai, and everything in between.
And according to a new study, Manchester is one of them.
Although our city probably wouldn’t be the first to spring to mind when asked to name picturesque skylines, its growth and evolution means it’s been crowned the world’s 46th most beautiful, according to gaming platform Slingo.
Manchester’s skyline has been crowned one of the most ‘beautiful’ in the world / Credit: Chris Curry | Josh Taylor (via Unsplash)
Famous for iconic buildings like Beetham Tower and Deansgate Square that attract a huge number of visitors each year, Manchester’s skyline is said to be ‘one that every traveller needs to visit and admire in their lifetime’.
Manchester ranks among capital cities, business hubs, and popular tourist destinations on the list of iconic skylines from around the world, with New York City taking the coveted top spot and other legendary places such as Chicago, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Melbourne all featuring in the top 10.
To calculate the most aesthetically pleasing skylines, each city’s skyline was processed to determine its aspect ratio, with the renowned golden ratio (1.618) used as a benchmark for aesthetic balance, and then the final rankings were created by combining this score with the number of Instagram posts and hashtags for each city’s skyline.
It ranks among other iconic cities like New York City, Dubai, and Mumbai / Credit: Fran Serra (via Unsplash)
Manchester’s skyline may already be ‘beautiful’ enough as it is, but of course, it’s set evolve in the future with skyscraper developments planned.
Trinity Islands, a proposed residential development comprising five towers, mixed-use developments St Michael’s and Viadux, and residential skyscraper One Heritage Tower, are just a few of the projects planned.
Manchester has changed a lot over the past decade, but how will it look in the next 10 years? That, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Featured Image – Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
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‘Open-minded’ single Mancs wanted for new series of hit reality show Love Is Blind UK
Emily Sergeant
The next series of hit reality dating show Love Is Blind UK is currently in the works, and Mancs are being encouraged to apply.
‘Open-minded’ and single Mancs that is, of course.
There’s no denying that Love Is Blind has become a smash-hit since the US version first aired on Netflix in the early days of lockdown in 2020, with four additional seasons airing afterwards, and the UK remake hosted by Matt and Emma Willis first hitting our screens last August.
If you’ve never had the chance to watch it before, the show promotes itself as a social experiment where single men and women look for love and get engaged, all before meeting in person.
The cast members are initially paired up in a speed-dating format, but later can choose to have longer dates, and the daters may extend a marriage proposal whenever they feel ready, but a couple only meets face-to-face for the first time after a marriage proposal is accepted.
The series has gained a cult following over the years, receiving mostly positive reviews by critics too.
Following the success of the first UK series, producers have now put a casting call live and are on the look out for people brave enough to fall in love without seeing their partner in person to apply – including Greater Manchester residents.
A casting call on the Love Is Blind UK website reads: “Love is Blind UK is currently on the lookout for single, open-minded individuals from across the UK and Ireland, who are ready to take the plunge into finding true love.
‘Open-minded’ single Mancs are wanted for the next series of hit reality show Love Is Blind UK / Credit: Netflix
The show is all about discovering whether love really is blind, with participants growing deep connections with potential partners without the initial distractions of physical appearance.
“It’s an exciting and unique approach to finding love, and one that has proven successful in the past… so, if you’re ready for an adventure and want to explore the possibility of finding love in a new and exciting way, then why not consider applying for Love is Blind UK?
“It could be the start of an incredible journey towards finding the one.”
Fancy it then? Applications for the second series of Love Is Blind UK are now live, and you must be 18 years of age or over to apply, and have the right to reside in the UK or Ireland.
Emily Sergeant -
25th October 2022 
