Millions of Britons who are feeling gloomy at the prospect of going back to work next Tuesday have a rather nice cosmic surprise.
Sky watchers from Kent to the Shetland Isles will be treated to a partial eclipse as they head to work on January 4 - the most impressive seen in the UK since 1999.
01.jpgThe partial eclipse will occur when the moon passes between the sun and the earth on January 4. Doctors are urging people not to look directly at it unless they are wearing specially designed solar filters
The moon will pass between the sun and Earth creating a partial eclipse that will be visible from much of Europe, North Africa and central Asia.
From the UK, the eclipse will already have begun when the sun rises in London at 8.06am, in Manchester at 8.24am and in Glasgow at 8.46am.
It will end at or shortly after 9.30am for viewers in the UK.
No eclipse is visible in the light areas. A partial eclipse is seen in the dark grey area. A partial eclipse is also visible in the light grey area but the Sun is either rising or setting during the course of the eclipse.
The percentage of the sun obscured in the middle of the eclipse varies considerably across the UK, with the south east seeing over two-thirds obscured while from the Western Isles of Scotland as little as a quarter is covered.
London will see almost three-quarters of the Sun obscured at the maximum stage, with Liverpool andPlymouth just under 70 per cent and Glasgow barely 40 per cent.
Why will it be a partial solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and sun and its shadow casts a region of the planet into darkness.
A partial eclipse is when the sun and moon are not exactly in line. It is usually visible on either side of the path of a total eclipse.
However, in this case the moon's umbra (the darkest part of its shadow that would completely block the Sun's light) passes above Earth's polar regions and never intersects the Earth's surface. Therefore only a partial eclipse is visible.
But witnesses to the phenomenon could risk permanent damage to the eyes and even blindness if they look at it directly without special solar-filter glasses.
Dame Sally Davies, the Government's Interim Chief Medical Officer, said: 'Children are particularly vulnerable as they may be tempted to take a peek. We would urge parents to explain the danger to their children.
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'We would not wish to see another case like the young boy who lost his central vision back in October 2005 through looking directly at a partial eclipse in his school playground.'
Medical experts said the safest way to watch the eclipse is on the television or live webcasts on the internet. Observing the eclipse directly through a telescope, binoculars or camera is not safe under any circumstances.
Dame Davies added: 'Under no circumstances should people look directly at the sun during a partial eclipse.
'The risks of doing so are very real and could lead to irreversible damage to eyesight and even blindness.'
Even viewing it through sunglasses or photographic film is also 'wholly inadequate', experts warned.
People in the south east of England will be the first to see the partial eclipse as the sun rises at 8.05am. By 9.10am the whole of the UK will have a view
They said only specially-designed solar filters bearing the appropriate 'CE mark' can be used to safely viewthe eclipse directly.
And should cloudy skies obscure your view next Tuesday, you've got a four year wait for your next chance.
On 20 March 2015 a total eclipse will be visible on the Faroe Islands while the rest of the UK will see a partial eclipse of at least 80 per cent.
