Ireland gears up for 'special' partial solar eclipse
Ireland is preparing for a rare partial solar eclipse on August 12, with visibility expected across the country. Observatories and universities are hosting public viewing events, while researchers use the opportunity to study the solar corona.
Why it matters
The event provides a significant educational and scientific opportunity for the public and astronomers to observe rare celestial phenomena.
Parts of the world will see a rare total solar eclipse next week.
Spain will be one of the main destinations for astronomy enthusiasts, but the total eclipse will also be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Russia and a small portion of Portugal.
In Ireland, as with other parts of Europe and western Africa, it will be a partial eclipse - "a unique lifetime experience".
People all over the country will get to experience the partial eclipse next Wednesday evening, 12 August, as the Moon moves in front of the Sun.
The event will become visible just after 6pm with maximum coverage of the Sun occurring shortly after 7pm.
The Moon is expected to have cleared the Sun by around 8pm.
In Ireland, the west and south of the country should see up to 98% coverage of the Sun, while in the east and north it will be around 94%.
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