Ireland Braces for 98.01% Solar Eclipse as Perseids Peak With Up to 100 Meteors an Hour
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 9
Ireland Braces for 98.01% Solar Eclipse as Perseids Peak With Up to 100 Meteors an Hour
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 9
Summary
More than 90% of the sun will be obscured across Ireland on Wednesday evening, with Skellig Michael seeing 98.01% coverage in the island’s deepest visible eclipse until September 2090.
The partial eclipse begins around 18:10 BST and peaks about 19:08-19:13 depending on location, with 93.05% coverage in Belfast, 93.77% in Derry and 96.43% in Cork.
Astronomers said the event should noticeably darken the sky but warned people not to look directly at the sun; certified eclipse glasses or projection methods are the safe options.
Several hours later, the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak under a new moon, giving observers in dark locations a chance to see around 100 meteors an hour if skies stay clear.
The eclipse will be total for some travelers in Spain and western Europe’s first total solar eclipse since 1999, while Ireland itself will not see a total eclipse again until 2090.