The partial solar eclipse will be visible across Ireland tonight, but with specialist eclipse glasses sold out at many retailers, people may be wondering how they can safely watch the event.
The eclipse is due to begin at around 6pm today, Wednesday August 12, reaching its maximum shortly after 7pm before ending at around 8pm.
The amount of the Sun covered will vary across Ireland, with up to 98% coverage expected in parts of the west and south and around 94% in the east and north.
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The most important thing to remember is that you should never look directly at the Sun without proper protection.
Ordinary sunglasses are not safe for viewing a solar eclipse, even if the lenses appear dark.
Experts have also warned people against buying unofficial or counterfeit eclipse glasses, with safe specialist glasses required to meet the ISO 12312-2 safety standard.
The safest way to look directly at an eclispe is to wear certified eclipse glasses. Image credit: Shutterstock
If you don't have eclipse glasses, one of the easiest ways to see the eclipse safely is to create a projection rather than looking at the Sun itself.
You can use a household colander to project the shape of the partially eclipsed Sun onto the ground.
Astronomer Imo Bell from the Royal Observatory explained that people can point the colander towards the Sun while keeping their back to it, allowing the eclipse to appear through the holes in the shadow.
A simple pinhole projector is another option and can be made using a piece of card.
You can also create a larger pinhole projector using a cardboard box, allowing the Sun's image to be projected onto a surface without anyone having to look directly at it.
Trees can provide a similar effect.
Gaps between leaves can act like tiny pinholes, projecting multiple images of the Sun onto the ground. To see them safely, keep your back to the Sun and watch the shadows beneath the tree.
Cloudy weather does not make it safe to look directly at the Sun either. Even when the Sun appears less bright, harmful radiation can still damage the retina.
People should also be particularly careful when using cameras, binoculars or telescopes.
NASA warns that eclipse glasses alone are not sufficient protection when looking through optical equipment. Proper solar filters need to be attached to cameras, binoculars and telescopes.
There have also been warnings about pointing smartphones directly at the Sun, as the intense light can potentially damage the camera.
For anyone hoping to watch tonight's eclipse, projection methods are therefore the safest option if specialist glasses are unavailable.
The eclipse will be visible across Ireland from around 6pm, with the maximum occurring shortly after 7pm.
Viewing events are also being held at locations including Dunsink Observatory in Dublin, Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, Maynooth University in Kildare and Dublin's Phoenix Park.
