Best spots in Scotland to view this week's solar eclipse revealed
Cloud and precipitation could hamper viewing efforts
Parts of southern and eastern Scotland are being tipped as among the best places to witness this week’s rare partial solar eclipse, according to meteorologists and weather presenters.
The phenomenon is said to be Europe’s best partial solar eclipse in nearly three decades.
On Wednesday night, the moon will move between the earth and sun completely obscuring the sun. The eclipse will pass over the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Iceland, Atlantic Ocean, Portugal, and northern Spain.
While an initial map released by the Met Office suggested that parts of the west coast of Scotland could be among the top viewing hotspots, a changing weather forecast has shifted the outlook.
Cloud cover is now expected over large parts of the country come Wednesday evening, with the chance of showery bursts of rain also on the horizon.
The spectacle is expected to start at around 6.08pm in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with maximum eclipse following roughly an hour later. It will largely be over shortly after 8pm.
With the moon set to obscure more than 90 per cent of the sun - the most it has been blocked above UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999 - Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said the general outlook for parts of Scotland was “not that promising.”
He explained: “The general theme this upcoming Wednesday evening is that the further northwest you are in the UK, the more likely you are to get cloud, [and] the further south and southeast you are, the more likely the skies will stay clear.”
BBC weather presenter Kirsteen MacDonald also said the areas with the least cloud cover would offer the best view of what she described as a “celestial treat.”
“It’s set to be the most impressive solar eclipse since 1999, with up to 96 per cent of the sun obscured by the moon,” she explained.
“Open or raised areas without buildings or trees and with a clear view of the western horizon are best. On current thinking, parts of southern and eastern Scotland will be best placed to see this event in all its glory. Cloudier skies will affect the north and the west at times, with some showery rain.”
According to the Met Office, those living in Inverness should, in theory, be able to see the moon obscure 90.74 per cent of the sun at 7.03pm, while in Edinburgh, 90.71 per cent of the sun will be hidden at 7.06pm. However, much will depend on cloud cover and precipitation.
Professor Catherine Heymans, the astronomer royal for Scotland, also said the difference in how much of the sun is obscured - across the UK, it is expected the figure will be between 91 and 96 per cent depending on location - is far less important than whether there are clear skies.
“My plan is going to be to watch the Met Office cloud-cover forecast to see where the clouds are going to be, and to go to where they are not,” she said.
It comes as the Royal Greenwich Observatory warned the public that regular sunglasses are not a safe enough method to view the cosmic phenomenon.
Imo Bell, a planetarium astronomer at the observatory, said: “It's not a total eclipse, but it's important to be prepared. You can use solar eclipse glasses, which are very, very different from sunglasses.”
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