A rare partial solar eclipse will be visible in skies above Greater Manchester later this week.
In a celestial event known as an annular eclipse that only occurs every one or two years, the sun and moon will be positioned exactly in line with the earth, but the moon will appear to cover and block the sun out by nearly a third.
This causes the sun to appear as a very bright ring – or annulus, as it’s officially known – in a phenomenon which has been dubbed the “ring of fire”.
As impressive as it sounds though, the “ring of fire” in its true form will unfortunately only be visible from Russia, Greenland and northern Canada, with observers in the UK and Ireland only treated to a crescent sun instead of a ring.
This is due to the fact that, as mentioned, this will only be a partial eclipse.
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When is the eclipse?
For all of us here in the UK, the spectacle is set to begin at 08:12 UTC on Thursday 10 June, and at this moment, the moon will begin its slow creep across the face of the sun.
It reaches its maximum coverage at 10:41 UTC and then, the eclipse ends at 13:11 UTC.
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If you’re a little unsure as to what the UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) is, websites such as timeanddate.com will help you convert UTC into your local time, so in the UK, for example, British summer time is UTC+1 hour, so the maximum eclipse takes place at 11:41 BST.
The spectacle is set to begin at 08:12 UTC on Thursday 10 June / Credit: Space Facts
Where and how can I watch the eclipse safely?
Even though for the UK a large part of the solar disc will be covered, experts have warned that looking at the partially eclipsed sun without appropriate protection can still cause serious and permanent damage to the eyes.
Dr Emily Drabek-Maunder, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said: “Never look at the sun directly or use standard sunglasses, it can cause serious harm to your eyes.”
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She suggests using a simple pinhole projector, solar eclipse viewing glasses – which can be purchased online – or special solar filters that fit on telescopes.
“You can make a projector by poking a small hole into a piece of card.” she adds.
“Hold the card up to the sun so that light shines through the hole and on to a piece of paper behind the card [and] you will be able to see the shape of the sun projected on to the piece of paper and watch its shape change as the moon passes in front of the sun.”
The Royal Observatory Greenwich will be also be streaming the eclipse live on its website and YouTube channel here.
Featured Image – Pixabay
UK News
King Charles III’s annual income to increase by more than 50% as crown estate revenue rises
Danny Jones
King Charles III’s annual income is reportedly set to increase by more than 50% after the total revenue of the official crown estate rose significantly over the last 12 months.
Posting record-breaking profits since King Charles was coronated back in May, raking in a total of £1.1 billion for the 2023/24 financial year, the crown’s budget is now being adjusted, with a review set for 2026/27.
As per the official royal accounts published this week, the sovereign grant which helps fund members of the royal family and their civic duties is set to rise from £86m this year to £132m in 2025/26, meaning the King is set for a whopping £45m (approx. 53%) pay rise.
The royals currently receive 12% of the crown estate’s overall profits and as the majority of Britain continues to struggle with a cost of living crisis, it’s also the details surrounding last year’s outgoings and overall expenditure that have proved tough reading for many.
It makes no sense that profits from renewable energy projects are funnelled out of poor coastal communities to fund the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace.
Wealth from our natural resources should be invested in our people and communities. https://t.co/D4ZzzFiffk
In addition to roughly £600,000 of the sovereign grant being spent on the King’s coronation and other related events last year, the monarchy’s accounts also revised the £369m set aside for renovations in and around Buckingham Palace, let alone other royal residences.
According to The Guardian, “Royal accounts also show that the Prince of Wales received £23.6m income from the Duchy of Cornwall in his first full year after inheriting the land and property-owning estate from his father.”
Frogmore Cottage, located on the Windsor estate, saw a £2.4m refurbishment on behalf of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as well but has remained empty for more than a year – though the costs have reportedly since been returned to the public purse.
Perhaps one of the toughest/most frivolous to swallow for the taxpayer, though, is the revelation regarding the two new helicopters. Set to replace the existing aircraft used by the royals for the last 15 years, the two new AgustaWestland AW139s are said to cost £8m a pop.
Making 170 journeys last year and costing a total of £1,096,300, the monarchy’s travel bill rose from £3.9m to £4.2m all-told, with the official royal train remaining the most expensive per mile.
Elsewhere, in the King’s Speech (written for him) following Labour’s landslide updating of the Conservative Party after 14 years, Charles said: “Stability will be the cornerstone of my Government’s economic policy and every decision will be consistent with its fiscal rules…
“Securing economic growth will be a fundamental mission. My Government will seek a new partnership with both business and working people and help the country move on from the recent cost of living challenges by prioritising wealth creation for all communities.”
While the crown and government have reiterated the aim of “rising living standards”, many Brits will understandably struggle to take these words as sincerely as others, with urgent action needed to support some of the poorest regions across the nation.
Ex-Salford rugby player and Andy’s Man Club co-founder receives special honour from University of Bradford
Danny Jones
Ex-Salford rugby player, motivational speaker and health coach Luke Ambler has been given a special honour for his work with the men’s mental health organisation, Andy’s Man Club.
The former rugby league athlete and Ireland international – whose career started out at Salford City Reds before moving on to Leeds Rhinos, York, Harlequins and Halifax – set up Andy’s Man Club in 2016 after the loss of his brother to suicide, with the vital support group and charity growing massively since then.
Now hosting more than 4,500 men at over 190 different regional support groups across the country every week, including several here in Greater Manchester – one over at Etihad being the most recent – the non-profit has become a vital resource for men in the UK and only keeps spreading further.
To share this day with my beautiful family, mother in law and Sabrina our General Manager and all those who were graduating was a pleasure and a day I’ll remember for years to come.
As reported by The Hoot, Ambler received an outstanding contribution award from Bradford Uni on Tuesday, 16 July, being presented with the accolade during their ongoing summer graduation.
In typically humble fashion, he dedicated the honour to everyone but himself: “To all my team; my parents, my kids, my family, friends, staff and volunteers thank you – none of us do it alone.
“Thank you also to all of you who have supported us and continue to do so thank you.”
Speaking to the BBC, he went on to add: “It’s amazing to look back on how far it has come… I don’t want to put a limit on it – we really want to help more men and find out why people get into such dark places.”
Male mental health continues to be a hugely overlooked and pressing issue and the impact of organisations like Luke’s cannot be overstated, having not only provided an all-important outlet but also raised huge funds and awareness for the cause.
Meeting every Monday at 7pm, Andy’s Man Club is all about creating a safe space for men to open up about the storms affecting their lives in a safe, judgement-free and non-clinical environment. You can find your nearest location HERE.
Well done from all of us at The Manc Group, Luke. You can watch the presentation and his acceptance speech in full down below.
#ITSOKAYTOTALK
What a lovely way to honour the Andy’s Man Club co-creator.