Revel in the wonder of the Solar System

There are maps you can buy which show how light pollution blocks out the night skies. Look at the map for the UK, and English star-gazers have it the worst. It would take a trip to a few scattered oases in Northumberland, East Anglia or the West Country to see the skies anything like our ancestors once enjoyed.

We are more divorced than ever from the celestial backdrop that once held us in awe. But there is one astronomical event, perhaps the most precious wonder of the Solar System, where even the most dazzling night sky won't be an advantage. July 2009 saw the longest total eclipse of the Sun this century. It was always going to be a centrepiece moment for the BBC's new series Wonders of the Solar System, but deciding where to go to film it was a nerve-wracking gamble.

news.bbc.co.uk