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.”
You can win two VIP tickets to a Co-op Live show as part of a heartwarming Manc charity raffle
Danny Jones
Fancy bagging yourself the posh treatment at the biggest indoor gig and live entertainment venue in the city? Well, you can do just that by entering the latest Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity raffle, which is offering a pair of VIP tickets to a Co-op Live show.
All you have to do is simply do your bit for a crucial local cause.
It’s one that we’ve worked closely with in the past on many occasions: the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, which helps house rough sleepers across the region.
Teaming up with The 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness – which was created specifically to generate funds for this ongoing crisis – as well as an upcoming community social, all you have to do to be in with a chance is put your name down for a cheap raffle ticket.
Writing in the caption of the post, the Mayor’s Charity has revealed that “Cross Club Social and The Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness are teaming up to raffle off 2x VIP Co-op Live tickets to a show of your choosing.”
That’s right, not just any random show – you get to pick which one you fancy going along to in style.
With the 2026 edition of the annual fundraising relay event, on behalf of Greater Manchester’s homeless community, taking place this November (find out more on the GMMC website and keep up to date with us here at The Manc for the latest) they’re hoping to get the donations going nice and early.
For anyone unaware, the Cross Club Social, or ‘XCS’, has been going for a few years now; it brings together runners from all over the 10 boroughs for a big post-race party, all whilst raising money for charitable organisations.
DJs, karaoke, quizzing, three full rooms, an entire beer garden to themselves, and MUCH more. 👀
The next edition will be taking place this Friday, 19 June, over at the award-winning Fairfield Social Club, where an all-day party will run, pardon the pun, well into the night.
Better still, entrants into the raffle don’t have to wait long to find out if they’re a winner, as the lucky recipient is set to be announced the following Saturday (20 Jun) after the big shindig over on the XCS Instagram page.
The Mayor’s Charity team signed off by adding, “Good luck and together, we will end homelessness” – a mission that many Manc groups, especially, have been working so hard to make possible in recent times.
For instance, last year alone, the aforementioned 24 Hour Run, whose team will be in attendance and taking donations for at XCS 2026, generated a whopping £70k, and the total tally has now reached truly life-changing sums.
As for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity raffle, you can grab a ticket HERE for just a fiver to secure your chance to go along to a VIP night at Co-op Live. Fingers crossed!
‘Powerful’ firearms found in Stockport suburb as police search for answers
Danny Jones
Concerning news coming out of Stockport after two “incredibly powerful and dangerous” firearms were found in the Brinnington area of the town.
The weapons have been secured by Greater Manchester Police (GMP), but the nature of their discovery has drummed up plenty of questions among local authorities.
Stumbled upon this past Friday, 12 June, officers in Stockport found both a handgun and, even more shockingly, a submachine gun in simple rubbish bags.
The high calibre and fire rate of the respective weapons, specifically, have understandably added to the level of worry among police and residents alike.
As per an official GMP release, an MP5 model SMG and a ‘Grand Power’ handgun were uncovered, although the exact location of the ordnance has not yet been disclosed.
Troubling stuff, to say the least.
However, at present, they believe the attempt to conceal and/or dispose of the weapons is likely a reaction to their ongoing efforts to disrupt criminal activity and remove dangerous weapons from the streets across the region.
Stopfordian sectors of the city-region are among many across the surrounding 10 boroughs, with Brinnington in particular seeing a more ramped-up level of searches.
Detective Inspector Mark Graham, leader of the SK Challenger Team, said: “We have done some fantastic work in recovering firearms in Greater Manchester – between April 2024 and April 2026 – GMP took 150 firearms off our streets.”
#Brinnington neighbourhood intensification operation sees multiple arrests and seizures
In the 2 weeks since our work began, we have secured 15 arrests for offences including possession with intent to supply, failing to appear at court, dangerous driving, & weapons offences. pic.twitter.com/zJS9QIYJTD
Nevertheless, he goes on to say that “Friday’s discovery has prevented potentially serious harm to those who work and live in the area”, adding in the full statement: “These types of weapons have no place on our streets and are incredibly powerful and dangerous.
“Our investigation is progressing, and we are following numerous lines of enquiry in relation to who these belong to and how they ended up where they did.”
As always, they are urging anyone with information about illegal firearms or suspicious activity in and around the Stockport region to contact police ASAP, either over the usual 101 number or by dialling 999 immediately in emergency situations.
If you would rather get in touch online, you can report potentially useful info via the live chat function on the GMP website, or alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
25th October 2022 
