British nyctophiles - fans of darkness and the night - have been waiting since August 1999 for a total solar eclipse to gaze at. Unfortunately, they might be waiting a while for the next decent one too - it won't take place until August 12, 2026, when up to 95 per cent of the Sun will be obscured.
Britain will not see a total solar eclipse until September 23, 2090, but there are a plethora of partial eclipses in the meantime to keep nyctophiles content.
But isn't there supposed to be a solar eclipse in August 2017?
There is - but only people in the US will be able to witness it in person. More specifically, people in the 'path of totality' will be able to see it: that's the name given to the area which will be flooded in complete darkness for over two minutes.
Those lucky enough to be in Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina and South Carolina will see the total solar eclipse - dubbed the Great American Eclipse - while we Brits will be treated to a partial solar eclipse.
It will be visible in parts of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from around 19:35 on August 21 - but make sure you're in a spot where there's no cloud.
Will there be a live stream?
Yes - Nasa will host an Eclipse Megacast for four hours during the eclipse which will be picked up by local, national and international TV stations. You can also follow all the action via the Telegraph.
What causes a solar eclipse?
The diameter of the Sun is 400 times that of the Moon but it lies 400 times further away. If you are in exactly the right place on Earth at the right time, you'll be lucky enough to see the two celestial bodies overlap exactly.
However as the moon and the Earth are always moving, eclipses rarely last long. Scientists believe the longest total solar eclipse to happen between 4000 BCE and 8000 CE will occur on July 16 2186, lasting 7 minutes and 29 seconds.
The longest total solar eclipse to date occurred on July 11, 1991: which, at its peak, lasted 6 minutes and 53 seconds.
When is the next total lunar eclipse in the UK?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly behind the Earth, so the Earth is between the moon and the sun.
Colloquially referred to as blood moons, a fully eclipsed moon usually appears to be red because of how the sun's rays fall.
Lunar and solar eclipses come in pairs, meaning a lunar eclipse always happens around two weeks before or after a solar eclipse. The lunar eclipse preceding this year's Great American Eclipse will happen on 7 August, but will only be a partial lunar eclipse.
Although we'll have to wait 73 years for a total solar eclipse, we Brits will be treated to two total lunar eclipses in the next two years: the first on 27 July 2018 and the second on 21 January 2019.
How can I see an eclipse safely?
Never look directly at the Sun, even through sunglasses or dark material such as a bin liner or photographic negative.
Makeshift filters may not screen out the harmful infrared radiation that can burn the retina of the eye risking permanent eye damage and blindness.
Also, viewers must never use binoculars or a telescope.
Wear special eclipse viewing glasses - not ordinary sunglasses - or construct a simple pinhole camera which projects an image of the Sun onto a blank piece of paper.