Partial Solar Eclipse: How and when to view it over Cambridgeshire this weekend

Skywatchers and stargazers at the ready – a partial solar eclipse is set to occur this Saturday.

The Met Office has confirmed the astronomical alignment will be visible over Peterborough – if the clouds stay away.

Those with their eyes to the skies between 9.56am and 12.14pm should see the Moon slowly pass between the Sun and the Earth, partly obscuring the Sun.

The whole event is set to take around two hours, from start to finish.

For those in Cambridgeshire, the best time to see this is expected to be around 11am – with around 31% of the Sun expected to go dark.

According to the Met Office, the weather over Peterborough on Saturday is forecast to be sunny in the morning around 9am – but with clouds expected to roll in by 12noon.

Hopefully the cloud cover will hold off just long enough for people to get a clear view of the phenomenon at its peak.

We spoke to professional photographer and passionate astronomer David Lowndes about the safest way to view the partial eclipse.

"The main advice is not to look directly at the sun as you can seriously damage your eyes,” he said. “Don’t try to view it without proper eye protection – like eclipse shades.

"The safest way to watch it is to get two pieces of white card, cut a pinhole in one and project the image of the sun through this onto a piece of card behind it.”

Asked to share advice on photographing the event, he added: “To get a decent detailed image of this you really need a 600mm lens and a solar filter. You can also try your mobile, but personally I wouldn’t risk pointing an expensive phone at it.

“The optimum time for viewing it should be at 11.03am.”

David is a member of Peterborough Astronomical Society, which meets on the first Thursday of every month at Sacrewell Farm, in Thornhaugh, from 7.30pm. New members are welcome. Fore more details, visit their Facebook page.