Part of the world will be plunged into darkness due to a rare solar eclipse on Monday.
Thanks to the eclipse, much of North America will see day turn to night, which also means flashes of the solar corona that resemble a diamond ring in the sky will be visible. It may also be possible to see planets and comets with the naked eye, and the eclipse may disrupt communications on Earth.
It may be possible to see the partial eclipse from the UK, but only from certain areas and in clear conditions.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon completely covers the Sun and observers are in the darkest part of the Moon’s shadow.
Monday’s eclipse will be the largest since 2017, and an estimated 31.6 million people across America are expected to make it. As the excitement increased, various conspiracy theories circulated, and experts reminded people what they should and should not do in the event of a solar eclipse.
Here’s everything you need to know about Monday’s eclipse:
Who will be able to see the total solar eclipse this week?
The eclipse will begin shortly after 2pm EDT (7pm BST) on Monday, April 8 in North America and will last for two hours.
The path of totality, where the total solar eclipse will be fully visible, will begin shortly after 11 a.m. local time in Mazatlan, Mexico.
Starting from Mexico, the total eclipse will last 4.5 minutes, and although this may not seem too long, the maximum possible eclipse duration will be around 7-8 minutes.
Can I see the solar eclipse from the UK?
While North America will experience a total solar eclipse, the UK will only experience a partial eclipse as the path of the total eclipse will end in the west of Ireland.
However, after sunset, approximately 20% to 30% of the sun will be blocked by the Moon, resulting in a partial eclipse.
Professor Don Pollacco, from the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick, said around 12% of the sun would be obscured in Glasgow by around 8pm (BST). Under clear conditions people in Edinburgh could see a 6% dimming.
Senior astronomer Dr. of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Edward Bloomer said the UK would only receive a “small fraction” of the eclipse in the west and north of the country.
Liverpool will only see a maximum coverage of 3.1% at 19:57 when the sun is directly on the horizon; The window is very small as the start and finish times are 19:55 and 20:00.
Belfast will experience further eclipse with maximum coverage of 28.1% at 8.10pm. However, the sun will be very low on the horizon and the window will be open from 19.55 to 20.14.
Stornoway in Scotland will see maximum coverage of 33.7% at 8.13pm. The eclipse will start at 19.53 and end at 20.23.
Dr Bloomer said: “I’m afraid the south and east have had bad luck this time. “We won’t be able to see anything from the observatory, which is a bit sad.”
Prof Pollacco said: “The path of totality ends at sunset in the Atlantic, hundreds of kilometers west of Ireland. “As you go west, the blurriness becomes greater, and towards the east it becomes less.”
How rare are total solar eclipses?
Total solar eclipses occur every 18 months, but the visibility path to see a total eclipse is only around 80 miles, so it’s not visible unless you’re within that part.
Prof Pollacco, who went to the USA to watch the total solar eclipse, said: “Total solar eclipses are spectacular and feel quite magical.
“From the right vantage point, you can see the moon shadow coming towards you at 1,000 miles per hour as totality approaches.
“When it is nearly darkened as the sunlight shines through the valleys at the edge of the moon, you see the famous Baily Beads (beads of sunlight emerging from the eclipse shadow) and when the last valley is illuminated you see the Diamond Ring (which looks like a star). faint corona) in a bright ring around the sun.
“Cutting out sunlight right now causes high effects on the earth’s atmosphere, which can affect communications and create strange shadow bands on the ground, which can cause the ground to spin around when you look at it.”
There is another that could be seen in northern Spain in 2026 and extend as far as Iceland. However, the next total solar eclipse visible from the UK will occur in 2090.
How should you watch a solar eclipse?
You should always wear eye protection and follow the normal advice to avoid looking directly at the sun.
Experts say the eclipse can be watched safely with real solar eclipse glasses, not 3D glasses or something similar.
But the safest, cheapest and arguably most convenient way to view the event is pinhole projection; punch a hole in a piece of card, hold it in the sun, and hold a piece of paper behind the card. Using this method, people should be able to see the shape of the Sun reflected on paper, eliminating the need to look directly at the Sun.
Professor Pollacco warned: “Without protection you will at best damage your eyes, otherwise you could blind yourself.”