Amazing is how Gary Fildes describes one of the wonders of nature.
Gary is director of the award-winning Kielder Observatory in Northumberland and admits he is as excited as a schoolboy at the prospect of watching this Friday’s solar eclipse.
Solar eclipses happen when the moon moves in front of the sun, blocking the light and appearing to turn day into night.
There are plans to film the event from the observatory and screen the show on giant screens across the country in real time.
One of the venues will be Grey’s Monument at Newcastle where the action will be seen on a 20-metre screen.
Other locations include Middlesbrough, Leeds, Sheffield, and several spots in London.
It’s all made possible by specialist equipment at the observatory attached to cameras and allowing the event to be seen in real time as it happens.
Gary said: “I’m nearly 50, been doing this all my life, and I am still amazed at the beauty of the universe.
Gary Fildes 
A view of Kilder Observatory
“The further North you are the better chance you have of getting a good view of the eclipse on Friday.
“We can watch the event on very sophisticated kit at the observatory which is connected to the cameras to stream live images across the country.
“You can see the disc of the moon pass over the front of the sun in real time.
“Experts will on hand to explain what is happening and we will provide deck chairs for people to sit on while it’s going on.”
It all happens at 9.35am on Friday when the skies across the region will darken as the eclipse begins.
The best places to watch in Europe are the Faroe Islands North of Scotland and the Norwegian islands of Svalbard where the eclipse will be total.
Gary said the event is highly significant to watchers of the sky.
He said: “It’s a chance to witness one of the most incredible and lucky events in the entire Universe.
Owen Humphreys/PA Wire 
Members of the Newcastle Astronomical Society with telescopes at St. Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay
“A partial solar eclipse is one of the most historically awe inspiring spectacles known to humanity, this eclipse in the early Spring morning will cause the skies to darken, the birds to stop singing and the planet Venus to become visible.
“On this morning our closest celestial neighbour, the Moon, will pass in front of our home star, the Sun, momentarily blocking out the very light that has nurtured life here on Earth.
“ This event is billed as a ‘partial’ solar eclipse and whilst that may be as clear as mud to most, we do have experts at hand to help us understand what this event actually is.
“Solar eclipses are a result of the geometry of our solar system. For the Sun to be completely covered by the moon they must be the same size in the sky and this is the interesting aspect of what makes these events so incredible.
“We all know that the Sun is way bigger than the Moon, it’s actually 400 times bigger! But it’s also 400 times further away, so the result is they appear to be the same size in the sky. Hence we get solar eclipses.”
Coverage of the live streaming event begins at 8.30am leading to the big moment approximately an hour later.
On hand there will be Kielder Observatory staff along with scientists and students from partners, Durham and Northumbria Universities.
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