AN EPIC solar eclipse is set to grace Scotland’s skies in a couple of weeks, where part of the Sun will turn black.
In Scotland, around 40% of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon.
You must never look directly at a solar eclipse without eye protection[/caption]
A partial eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth but they are not perfectly aligned[/caption]
Meanwhile, in London and the southeast of England, around 30% of the Sun will fall under the lunar shadow.
A partial eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but the Sun, Moon, and Earth are not perfectly aligned.
This results in only part of the Sun being hidden by the Moon.
The partial eclipse is scheduled to take place on March 29 and will last for about two hours.
For Scots, it will begin at around 10am and end at 12pm, according to experts.
Fort William, situated in the western Scottish Highlands, is tipped as the best location to view the solar eclipse.
Here, the Moon will obscure up to 43.95% of the Sun.
In major Scottish cities such as Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh, the lunar shadow will reach just over 40%.
In Glasgow, however, the coverage will be slightly higher at 41.73%.
The visibility of the eclipse will also depend on cloud cover, which could potentially obstruct the view.
Dr Greg Brown, Senior Public Astronomy Officer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told The Sun: “While the timings vary slightly across the UK, the eclipse will reach its peak at 11am.
“That said, it’s worth keeping an eye out for the first and last contact – the moments when the Moon begins and ends its coverage of the Sun.
“These will occur at 10am and 12pm, respectively.”
Although eclipses have historically been associated with eerie changes in animal behaviour – and can even alter the appearance of shadows – this event is expected to bring no changes beyond the Sun’s visual transformation.
“For the UK, the light will only dim by about 30%,” Dr Brown explained.
“This is significantly less dramatic than the effect of the Sun being obscured by thick clouds.”
He added: “As such, animals are extremely unlikely to notice the change or behave unusually, as they sometimes do during more prominent eclipses.”
The next solar eclipse will be a total ‘Ring of Fire‘ in August 2026 – however, it won’t be visible from the UK.
Partial solar eclipses are different from total solar eclipses – there is no period of totality when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face.
And the only time it is deemed safe to look at the Sun is during totality.
Therefore, during partial solar eclipses, you must never to look directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection.
How to watch a solar eclipse safely
Here’s the official advice from the American Astronomical Society…
Looking directly at the Sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the Moon entirely blocks the Sun’s bright face, which will happen only within the narrow path of totality.
The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or handheld solar viewers.
Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the Sun; they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight.
Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched, punctured, torn, or otherwise damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter.
Always supervise children using solar filters.
If you normally wear eyeglasses, keep them on. Put your eclipse glasses on over them, or hold your handheld viewer in front of them.
Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright Sun. After looking at the Sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the Sun.
Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device.
Similarly, do not look at the Sun through a camera, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays could damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury.
