A solar eclipse will sweep across much of the northern hemisphere tomorrow. The Sun will disappear behind the shadow of the Moon, leaving a glowing ring of fire known as the corona, the outer ring of the Sun’s atmosphere normally hidden from view.

But to see the total eclipse you need to travel to some remote Arctic regions of northern Canada, Greenland and Siberia, before it ends in Mongolia and China. The eclipse can be seen more easily live on the internet.

However, a partial solar eclipse will be seen in the UK, with part of the Sun covered, looking as if a bite has been taken out of it. The further north your location, the greater the partial eclipse, so that Lerwick in Shetland will have a maximum 36 per cent of the Sun eclipsed, while London will only get 12 per cent. The weather may be cloudy and wet in the North of Scotland.

The partial eclipse also develops gradually, beginning at 9.33am, peaking at 10.18am and ends at 11.05am, which it is hoped would give time for any clouds to clear off. The eclipse will be worth watching out for, if only because the next total solar eclipse seen in Britain will not be until September 23, 2090.

Times Archive, 1927: The eclipse

The spectacle surpassed anything our imaginations had shaped

• The luck of the eclipse

• Letter: The eclipse

• Letter: The eclipse

Related Internet Links

• Total Solar Eclipse 2008 - Nasa (includes live webcast from China)

But be warned: do not look at an eclipse directly. Even the tiniest sliver of Sun left uncovered by the Moon, or the Sun veiled by cloud, can badly damage your eyes. You will be able to see a crescent-shaped shadow on the ground, provided, of course, that the weather is well behaved.