Come March 20, the moon will completely cover the disk of the sun in an event known as a total solar eclipse. While many regions will catch a glimpse of a partial eclipse, only a very small portion of the world will be able to see it in its totality.
The first of its kind since Nov. 2013, the eclipse will start right off the southern end of Greenland and will work its way counterclockwise up northeast to Iceland and finally to the United Kingdom. Afterwards, the moon's shadow will pass over the Faroe Islands and the Svalbard Islands. It will then leave the Earth's surface just short of the North Pole.
For people not within those areas, the eclipse will be available via live streaming at Slooh.com starting 4:30 a.m. EDT or 0830 GMT. The live stream will also be available at Space.com. The website for The Virtual Telescope Project will also begin airing footage at 4:00 a.m. EDT or 0800 GMT.
Great Britain will be able to witness approximately 87 percent of the eclipse's totality, while Norway, Scotland, Finland, and Sweden will experience over 90 percent.
Those living in areas where the eclipse will pass by should make sure not to look up at the sun directly. Even with the moon blocking the sun, its powerful radiation can cause severe eye damage. To safely view the total solar eclipse, solar projectors with binoculars or a pinhole camera may be used. One must never just put on a pair of sunglasses. Space.com notes that sunglasses and even translucent glasses are useless in shielding the eyes from the sun's radiation.
It has been noted that some schools within Europe will keep children indoors during the eclipse to prevent them from accidentally looking up at the sun.
