People in Lerwick will get the best view of the partial eclipse that will be visible across the UK today.
Forecasted to be seen at around 10am, the solar event will make the sun look as if a “bite” has been taken from it.
Visible from most of Europe, north Africa, the Middle East and western parts of Asia, eyes all over the world will be watching the partial eclipse.
Experts have warned people not to look directly at the sun when trying to view the event.
Instead, people should use binoculars, a telephoto lens on an SLR camera, telescopes, or a pinhole in a piece of card.
What is a solar eclipse?
A partial solar eclipse is taking place tomorrow, and it will be visible across the UK! The Moon will pass right in front of the Sun, blotting out up to around 25% of its disc. 🌞🌚
📷: Robin Scagell/Galaxy pic.twitter.com/2J5DL0UFm0
— Royal Astronomical Society (@RoyalAstroSoc) October 24, 2022
A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun and casts a shadow over Earth.
This obscures or partially obscures the sun when looking at it from Earth.
It is a fairly rare occurrence and can only happen during the phase of a new moon.
Today’s event is a partial eclipse which tends to look as if the moon is taking a “bite” out of the sun, only blocking a portion of the sun.
Where and when can you view it?
The partial eclipse will be taking place from around 10am and is set to finish around 11.50am.
According to Good Morning Scotland, Lerwick in Shetland will be treated to the best view in the UK with over 28% of the sun being obscured at mid-eclipse.
Clear skies on the east coast of Scotland ensure nearby residents will also have a good chance of viewing the partial eclipse while forecasted cloudy weather on the west mean chances of viewing it are much lower.
Western Siberia, Russia, will have the best worldwide front row seat to the eclipse with the moon estimated to obscure a maximum of 85% of the sun.
For anyone interested in following the event, the Royal Observatory Greenwich will stream the eclipse on its website and YouTube channel.
Will you be watching the partial eclipse today? We’d love to see any photos you manage to get safely. E-mail livenews@ajl.co.uk
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