Solar eclipse fever hits west Mayo
Special solar glasses were sold out in Newport ahead of this evening's historical solar eclipse with 96 percent of the sun expected be covered
Solar eclipse fever seems to have hit west Mayo with the Newport tourist office confirming that they have sold out of special solar glasses for this evening's historical event.
West Mayo is expected to be one of the best places in Ireland to witness this evening's partial social eclipse with up to 96 percent of the sun expected to be covered at around 7.10pm.
A number of events are taking place in Mayo this evening to be part of history as it is the first time since 1999 that a total solar eclipse will take place on mainland Europe.
Mayo Dark Skies are holding a solar eclipse viewing in the Ballycroy Visitor Centre while the Newport Astronomy Club are holding an viewing event on the Viaduct Railway Bridge and Louisburgh Astronomy Club are having a viewing event on Carrownisky Beach.
Excitement is growing ahead of this evening's eclipse to such an extent that special solar glasses used to safely witness the eclipse which were on sale in Newport tourism office have now been sold out.
However, Newport Astronomy Club have posted on social media advising people on how to safely observe the eclipse using a simple pinhole projector made from a box and a few everyday materials. The homemade pinhole projector allows you to view the projected image of the Sun without looking directly at it.
People have been advised only to use proper certified solar viewing protection when witnessing the eclipse and not to look directly at the sun even with sunglasses as it can cause permanent damage.
The first total solar eclipse to take place on mainland Europe since 1999 will sweep down from Greenland and Iceland and across the North Atlantic Ocean before making landfall in northern Spain.
While the total solar eclipse will take place approximately 350km west of Ireland, it is expected that 96 percent of the sun will be covered along the west of Mayo, making it one of the best places in Ireland to witness a solar eclipse.
The eclipse is set to start at 6.12pm with the maximum eclipse at around 7.10pm and the end of the eclipse at 8.05pm.
At the time of the eclipse, the sun will be low in the west-northwest position, so viewers will need a clear, unobstructed view toward the horizon and it is recommended that protected eclipse glasses are worn to look at the sun without damaging your eyes.
In Ireland, where the eclipse is deep but not total, it is expected that the dimming of the light should be noticeable without becoming full darkness.
As an added treat for star gazers around Mayo, the spectacular Perseid meteor shower is expected to be seen across the county on the evening of August 12 and into the morning of August 13.
The event is associated with the dusty debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years. The meteoroids from the comet, mostly no bigger than a grain of sand, burn up as they hit the Earth's atmosphere at 36 miles per second, to produce a shooting stream of light in the sky.