MANY people across Worcestershire and Herefordshire will be gazing at the sky on Monday morning to view a natural phenomenon - but are being warned to protect their eyes while they're doing it.

As morning rush hour ends the country will witness a partial solar eclipse as the moon passes over the face of the sun.

The eclipse will start at about 8.50am and until it finishes at 10am, more than half the sun will be obscured.

Worcester astronomer Chris Livingstone said: "It will be quite spectacular and well worth seeing.

"Partial eclipses come at irregular intervals. Another one is due next March. We can go about 10 years without one of them and then have two or three in a year."

However, it will not be as spectacular as the total eclipse of 1999, which resulted in total darkness for a couple of minutes - though the full effect was only felt by people in the south of the country.

Mr Livingstone said: "That was very rare. It is estimated that if you stay in one place on earth, on average every 400 years you'll see a total eclipse."

In clear weather conditions, the eclipse will be a spectacular sight, but he warned that eye protection is essential to anyone viewing it.

Serious and permanent damage - or even blindness - can occur if you look at the sun with the naked eye, or through a camera or telescope, and children are especially at risk.

Even looking through sunglasses, pieces of darkened photographic film, compact discs or smoked glass is not safe.

Eyecare Trust chairman Iain Anderson said: "The only completely safe way to watch the solar eclipse is with indirect projection. You can do this using a simple home-made pinhole card."

"Just take a piece of stiff card and pierce it with a pin. Stand with your back to the sun and hold the card up. Then adjust the angle of the card until an image of the sun is projected. You can project it on to the ground, a wall or a second piece of card."

It is possible to buy special solar eclipse shades from Mr Livingstone's shop, Chris Livingstone Telescopes, on Charles Street, Worcester.

For a guide to viewing the eclipse, you can log on to www.eyecare-trust.org.uk