Edinburgh astronomers will be able to get the chance to view a partial solar eclipse this morning (Tuesday 25).
It is understood that the capital along with spots in Fife, Aberdeenshire, Moray and Orkney will be some of the best places to watch the phenomenon. Although experts have noted that more of the sun will be covered for viewers further north.
Up to a third of the Sun is going to be blocked out by the Moon from 10:00am until noon. The partial solar eclipse is said to become visible in Edinburgh from 10:08am and will peak in the skies at around 10:59am before disappearing out of sight at 11:15am.
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The last full solar eclipse took place seven years ago in 2015 but since this is only a partial covering of the sun, we are unlikely to notice a major chance in day light. However, the MET Office has warned onlookers not to look directly at the sun, the Daily Record reports.
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) urged gazers to follow the below safety advice:
Eclipse glasses
Looking directly at the sun can be extremely dangerous for your eyes, so it is worthwhile preparing beforehand.
The RAS advised against using old bits of film to look through at the event and also urged viewers not to use smoked glass.
Instead those wanting to catch a glimpse should use special filtered sunglasses. Any official CE-marked eclipse glasses that have been kept from previous phenomena will be ok to use.
However make sure that they have not been damaged in any way or that no small holes in the coating were appearing.
Mirror projection
If you don’t have any eclipse glasses, the RAS recommends viewing the progress of the eclipse using a small mirror.
A compact or small shaving mirror is ideal, particularly if it has a stand to hold it in position. Use the flat side, not the concave or magnifying side.
Cover the mirror with paper, with a hole cut about 4 mm or an eighth of an inch across – it doesn’t have to be neat, or even round.
Then, shine the Sun’s reflection from the mirror into a room or onto any surface that’s in shade – you will be able to see a circular spot of light which is, in fact, an image of the Sun.
Binocular or telescope projection
Using a small telescope or binoculars, with great care, you can project the Sun’s image for a very sharp view.
Point the instrument at the Sun, judging from its shadow when it is in line. Hold a sheet of white paper about 30cm away and you will see a bright spot appear when everything is lined up.
If you use a tripod, make sure that there is no chance that someone can accidentally look into the eyepiece of the instrument – this is the main danger with this method.
The RAS warns that another danger is ruining the interior of the eyepiece.
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