A SOLAR eclipse where the Moon will partially cover the Sun will occur over Scotland on Wednesday ... but how much are we really going to know about it?
Between 6.17pm and 8.06pm, more than 90% of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon – the most it has been blocked above UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999.
We're not likely to experience such a level of coverage again for many decades, so Scots will be wanting to grab the best view they can.
But the weather forecast could be an issue for visibility across the country. We spoke to astrophysicist Catherine Heymans from the University of Edinburgh to find out more.
How might the weather affect visibility?
People have been able to predict for thousands of years when eclipses will happen, but the weather will always be beyond our control.
The Met Office cloud cover forecast is currently suggesting that the vast majority of Scotland will be under a blanket of cloud at the peak of the eclipse with only small gaps in the cover while England is set to have almost completely clear skies south of York.
"Someone has annoyed the weather gods," said Heymans.
"England’s got lovely clear skies and as soon as you hit the border that’s when the clouds come in. There are some holes in the cloud cover so I am hopeful that if we’re patient enough, a hole will come over right where the sun is and we’ll be able to get a glimpse.
"As we get closer to the day the Met Office forecast becomes better and better. We’re now a day out and it's not looking good but things may change.
"The closer you get the more accurate it is [the forecast] and you can just zoom in to see where the gaps are and hop on a train."
The good news is that the eclipse lasts for two hours and given we have been blessed with warm weather this week, Heymans is encouraging people to get outside and keep their fingers crossed.
"It’s so lovely and warm at the moment so I think it’s just a case of everyone just planning a nice evening out, get eclipse glasses if you can or a colander if not and if a miraculous hole appears in the clouds you’re ready," she said.
"We might miss that moment where it’s the peak of the partial where more than 90% of the sun is covered but we’ve still got two hours to see the progress of the moon across the Sun. Don’t give up.
"The good thing about being in Scotland is we don’t have to worry about having a clear view of the western horizon because the sun sets later. In England the sun is going to be setting for the end of the eclipse but here the sun sets around 9pm, maybe even later depending on how far north you are."
Where are the gaps in the clouds?
The Met Office forecast will change as we go through the next 24 hours, but gaps in the clouds at the peak of the eclipse are currently showing over Edinburgh and parts of East Lothian, with one of the clearest gaps forecast over Crianlarich.
There are also clear gaps forecast just to the east of Banff and around Dalwhinnie.
The north of Mull around Tobermory also looks like it could see gaps as well as parts of the west coast just south of Mallaig. There are some clear patches near Moffat and Stranraer too.
What is the safest way to see the eclipse?
You should never look directly at the Sun.
One way to look at the eclipse safely is to use eclipse glasses but if you can't get hold of a pair, Heymans recommends using a colander.
"Do not put it on your head like a World War One helmet, but you want to have the sunlight shining into your colander and then you want to look at the shadow of the colander on the ground or wall," she said.
"At normal times that shadow will just look like a colander – the shadow of the bowl with circles of light. But during an eclipse, those holes turn into crescents and they show you the picture of the Sun. It’s like a pinhole camera."
She also recommended checking out events being held by astronomical societies across Scotland where you can borrow eclipse glasses.
You can find out more about what is near you here.
