A PARTIAL ECLIPSE of the Sun will be visible across Ireland this morning and astronomers are urging people to be careful not to injure their eyesight if trying to view it.

Astronomy Ireland is running an Eclipse Watch at its headquarters in Blanchardstown, west Dublin, this morning for the last eclipse of the Sun visible from Ireland until 2024.

Telescopes with special filters fitted to the front of them will allow a safe and close-up view of the eclipse from 10.06am until 11.40am.

The experts said that the maximum eclipse is at 10.52am. Solar eclipses occur whenever the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, which casts its shadow down on the planet.

“If you cannot make it to the Astronomy Ireland Eclipse Watch you can still witness the eclipse from anywhere in Ireland by using simple techniques like the pin hole method I describe in this month’s Astronomy Ireland magazine,” said David Moore, Editor of Astronomy Ireland Magazine and Founder of the society. 

“However, you should not look at the Sun at any stage of the eclipse with the naked eye, and certainly not with binoculars or telescopes as you can permanently damage your eyesight in a fraction of a second.

“We want everyone to have a safe view of this eclipse and there are details of how to do this in Astronomy Ireland magazine and on our website astronomy.ie.”

Moore said partial eclipses of the Sun are rarely visible from Ireland occurring roughly every couple of years.

He added: “Total eclipses of the Sun are even rarer and much more spectacular as day turns to night for a few minutes and stars can be seen in the daytime sky. The last total solar eclipse visible from Irish soil was in 1724 and the next won’t be until 2090.”

Get any pictures of the eclipse? We’d love to see them. Please send them on to pictures@thejournal.ie.