Here is what you need to know about the total eclipse, which is the first visible in mainland Europe since 2006.
What is an eclipse?
Eclipses happen when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, casting a narrow band of shadow across our planet.
It creates a strange twilight during which temperatures drop, shadows appear at strange angles and some animals go to sleep.
These odd phenomena convinced ancient cultures that eclipses were signs of the apocalypse -- or messages from the gods.
