Partial eclipse of sun to be visible in Ireland on Monday evening
A partial eclipse of the sun will be visible from all of Ireland on Monday evening. Picture: Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP, File
Sun, 07 Apr, 2024 - 11:38
A partial eclipse of the sun will be visible from all of Ireland on Monday evening.
Astronomy Ireland says that the moon will start passing in front of the sun at around 7.55pm — with the entire island being able to see it, weather permitting.
Founder of Astronomy Ireland magazine David Moore explained that with the sun setting in the west, those on the western coast will see more of the eclipse than those on the east.
Sunsets will vary from 8.10pm to 8.30pm across Ireland — with more than half of the sun's diameter being covered by the moon.
Astronomy Ireland said that cloud cover will be more important than your location.
It is urging people to view the eclipse from a location with an unobstructed western horizon — such as a large field or park, a west-facing hill, or across a large body of water like a lake or a sea.
Mr Moore explained: "This eclipse will be a total eclipse as seen across a thin strip from Mexico, USA to Eastern Canada.
"It will not be a total eclipse of the sun from Ireland as these are extremely rare, with the last one being visible from Irish soil in 1724, exactly 400 years ago this year."
The next total eclipse of the sun that would be visible from Ireland won't be until the year 2090. However, there will be an eclipse visible from Spain in August 2026.
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