A partial eclipse of the Sun will be visible across Ireland this morning, and astronomers warn people not to strain their eyesight by trying to see it.
This morning, Astronomy Ireland is conducting an Eclipse Watch at its offices in Blanchardstown, west Dublin, for the final solar eclipse viewable from Ireland until 2024.
From 10.06am until 11.40am, telescopes fitted with specific filters will offer a safe and close-up view of the eclipse.
According to analysts, the greatest eclipse will occur at 10.52 a.m. Solar eclipses happen when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, casting a shadow on the earth.
“If you cannot make it to the Astronomy Ireland Eclipse Watch you can still witness the eclipse from anywhere in Ireland by using simple techniques like the pin hole method I describe in this month’s Astronomy Ireland magazine,” said David Moore, Editor of Astronomy Ireland Magazine and Founder of the society.
“However, you should not look at the Sun at any stage of the eclipse with the naked eye, and certainly not with binoculars or telescopes as you can permanently damage your eyesight in a fraction of a second.
“We want everyone to have a safe view of this eclipse and there are details of how to do this in Astronomy Ireland magazine and on our website astronomy.ie.”
Moore said partial eclipses of the Sun are rarely visible from Ireland occurring roughly every couple of years.
He added: “Total eclipses of the Sun are even rarer and much more spectacular as day turns to night for a few minutes and stars can be seen in the daytime sky. The last total solar eclipse visible from Irish soil was in 1724 and the next won’t be until 2090.”