One of the last great eclipses of our lifetime in the UK is going to be happening on Friday 20 March.

Providing the infamous Scottish weather does not get in the way, we could be treated to a truly spectacular celestial sight throughout the morning on the Clyde coast.

Astronomers state that it is an ‘incredibly rare partial eclipse’ of the sun, and will be seen throughout Scotland at around 9.30am.

It is estimated that around 84 per cent of the sun will be covered in London, to around 90 per cent in Glasgow and Aberdeen.

The further north you go, the better your chances as at the Outer Hebrides, you will see up to 98 per cent of the sun obscured by the moon, while Skye and Orkney will be approximately 97%.

It is a long wait until the next partial eclipse in the UK which takes place in August 2026, and the next full eclipse will be in 2090 in Britain. The last total eclipse took place in 1999, and this is going to be the biggest one since.

BBC’s Stargazing Live has moved its annual tv series from January to March to take advantage of the phenomenon, and schools are invited to participate in a live research project, working with BBC Learning and The University of Reading. If you would like to take part, please email stargazing.schools@bbc.co.uk to register your interest.

The eclipse event begins at 8.30am until 10.45am, and at its peak around 80% of the sun will be hidden behind the moon. The sun actually rises at 6.20am before putting on its big show for one and all - fingers crossed!

The Coats Observatory in Paisley offers you the chance to come and view the spectacuar event through their solar telescopes housed in the building.

In the build up to eclipse day, solar viewing sessions will run on Tuesday 17, Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 March, 2pm to 4pm at the observatory. They will also also be running a free drop-in workshop where people can make a solar viewer, allowing them to safely observe the Sun on the eclipse day. Access to Coats Observatory for the Solar Viewing sessions is via Paisley Museum, High Street, Paisley, PA1 2BA. The Coats Observatory is also open on Tuesday and Thursday evenings till the end of March for free stargazing. For more details, contact 0300 300 1210.

Observatory officer John Pressley told the ‘News’: “There is no doubt about it that this is going to be one of the last great eclipses for a long time - yes, there are going to be other partial eclipses in future, but nothing quite on this scale.

“Around 90% of the sun will be covered by the moon, and in places like Iceland, it will be a total eclipse. The next full eclipse will be seen in 2017 but you will have to be in America to see that one.”