On 11 August this year, a very special event will take place in the sky.
Most people know the reason for an eclipse.
Therefore, if the three bodies line up, with the Moon in the mid position, the Sun's brilliant disc is covered for a brief period and with the naked eye it is possible to see the Sun's surroundings, which at other times are completely drowned by the brightness of the sky. It is also extremely hot, and herein lies the danger. Here we find masses of glowing gas, once termed Red flames but now called prominences. Beyond comes the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, which is made up of very rarefied gas which extends outward in all directions. To either side there will be a partial eclipse, when most of the Sun is hidden - but not all.