by Parts of the world will be plunged into darkness on Monday due to a rare solar eclipse.
Much of North America will see day turn to night thanks to the eclipse, which will mean the sun’s coronal flares will also be visible, like a diamond ring in the sky. It may also be possible to see planets and comets with the naked eye, and the eclipse may disrupt communications back to Earth.
A partial eclipse may be visible from the UK, but only from certain areas and under clear conditions.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely covers the sun, and observers are inside the darkest part of the moon’s shadow.
Monday’s eclipse is the largest since 2017, and an estimated 31.6 million people across America will be in its path. With excitement building, various conspiracy theories have been spread, while experts have also reminded people what they should and shouldn’t 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 a total solar eclipse this week?
The eclipse will begin in North America shortly after 2pm EDT (7pm BST) on Monday (April 8), lasting two hours.
The path of totality – meaning the total solar eclipse will be fully visible – will begin shortly after 11am local time in Mazatlan, Mexico.
From Mexico the total eclipse will last 4.5 minutes, and while this may not seem like a long time, the maximum possible eclipse duration is about 7-8 minutes.
Can I see the solar eclipse from the UK?
While there will be a total solar eclipse in North America, the UK will only get a partial eclipse as the path of the total eclipse ends west of Ireland.
But after sunset the Moon will obscure about 20% to 30% of the Sun – hence a partial eclipse.
Professor Don Pollacco, from Warwick University’s Department of Physics, said that around 12% of the sun will be hidden from Glasgow at around 8pm (BST). Under clear conditions, people in Edinburgh could see 6% blur.
Dr Edward Bloomer, senior astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said the UK will only get a “small patch” of the eclipse in the west and north of the country.
Liverpool will only see a maximum coverage of 3.1% at 7.57pm when the sun is essentially straight on the horizon – the window is very small as the start and end times are 7.55pm and 8pm.
Belfast will be more eclipsed with a maximum coverage of 28.1% at 8.10pm. The sun will be very low on the horizon, however, with the window between 7.55pm and 8.14pm.
Stornoway in Scotland will see a maximum coverage of 33.7% at 8.13pm. The eclipse will start at 7.53pm and end at 8.23pm.
Dr Bloomer said: “I’m afraid the south and east are not so lucky this time. We won’t be able to see anything from the observatory, which we’re a bit sad about.”
Professor Pollacco said: “The whole track ends in the Atlantic hundreds of miles west of Ireland at sunset. Going west the blur is greater, east less.”
How rare are total solar eclipses?
Total solar eclipses occur every 18 months but the path of visibility to see the total total eclipse is only about 80 miles, so unless you are located within that path it will not be visible.
Professor Pollacco, who is traveling to the United States to watch the total solar eclipse, said: “Total solar eclipses are amazing and feel very magical.
“From the right vantage point, you can see the moon’s shadow speeding toward you at 1,000 miles an hour as totality approaches.
“When it’s almost cloudless and sunlight shines through valleys on the moon’s limb, you see the famous Baily’s Beads (beads of sunlight emerging from the eclipse shadow) and, when the last valley is illuminated, the Ring A faint coronal diamond around the sun, like a glittering ring).
“At this time, there are effects of quenching sunlight high in the earth’s atmosphere, which can affect communications, and produce the strange shadow bands on the ground – causing the ground to disappear around while you’re looking at it.”
There is another one in 2026 that can be seen in the north of Spain, traced up to Iceland. But the next total solar eclipse visible from the UK will be in 2090.
How should you watch a solar eclipse?
You should always use eye protection and follow general advice not to look directly at the sun.
Experts say the eclipse can be viewed safely through real eclipse sunglasses – not 3D glasses or anything similar.
But the safest, cheapest and most convenient way to see the event is pinhole projection – make 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 projected onto the paper, eliminating the need to look directly at the Sun.
Professor Pollacco warned: “Without any protection you’d better damage your eyes, or you could blind yourself.”
