The United Kingdom will witness solar eclipse twice this year. The first eclipse is due on March 20. The eclipse due this month last occurred in 1999. Although this year's eclipse will be partial but still it will darken across much of the country. More than 80% of the sunlight will be obscured.

And six months later, on September 28, second eclipse will black out the sun across the whole country, and will also cover much of Western Europe.

As per experts, solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves directly between the sun and the earth, casting a shadow on the planet's surface.

Countries located at the center of the shaded area experience a total solar eclipse, whereas those on the nearer edge of the shadow witness a partial eclipse, which leaves only a portion of the Sun visible.

EC Krupp, the director of the Griffith Observatory in LA, told National Geographic that a solar eclipse is usually considered as an ill omen, or is an indication that something profound has already gone wrong.

"It's regular, dependable, you can't tamper with it. And then, all of a sudden, Shakespearean tragedy arrives and time is out of joint. The Sun and Moon do something that they shouldn't be doing", he said.

Several societies have created their own myths as an explanation to the phenomenon. Some cultures have positive and some even have negative explanations for it.

In Togo it was said that the sun and the Moon were fighting during an eclipse, and people would gather outside and urge them to stop. It was therefore seen as an opportunity to lay old disputes to rest. This tradition is even practiced today, told sources.

The first eclipse will happen on the morning of March 20. In London the eclipse will start at 8:24 am reaching to its peak at 9:31am.