As the Isle of Man prepares for the rare natural phenomenon of the solar eclipse this Friday, a local opticians is channelling Bonnie Tyler’s classic 80s hit and urging enthralled bright-eyed residents to ‘turnaround' when observing the exciting event.

On the morning of Friday, March 20, the UK will be plunged into darkness by a total eclipse as the moon moves directly between the sun and Earth and its shadows fall upon the planet’s surface.

Lasting approximately 90 minutes, the event will be the biggest since the last full eclipse in 1999 and the fascinating occurrence is set to capture the imagination of millions of people, hoping to watch the spectacle unfold.

As they look ahead to the event, director of the Isle of Man store, Adrian Higgins, and the Specsavers team are warning residents to ensure they protect their eyes while raising awareness of the severe dangers of looking directly at the sun.

Adrian says: ‘While full solar eclipses like this only happen every now and then, you only get one pair of eyes to last you a lifetime, so it’s vital to look after them.

‘And now we need to, more than ever, remind residents how best to protect their eyes. Our advice is to never look directly at the sun and remember, sunglasses won't provide sufficient protection.

‘The easiest way to view a solar eclipse safely is to do so through a pair of “eclipse glasses” with a certified solar filter.  These eclipse glasses must be treated with care or they can quickly become damaged and unsafe to use.’

‘Alternatively, if you have access to the materials, make sure to only use an approved solar filter like #14 welder’s glass.’

The blackout will begin in the UK at 8.45am and the maximum eclipse, when the moon is nearest the middle of the sun, is expected to be at 9.31am.