A total solar eclipse will occur on Monday the 8th of April but across Ireland only a partial eclipse will be visible weather permitting with western, northwestern and southern parts getting the best few. The further west you are the better.

The eclipse in Ireland will occur during the evening close to sunset and will start at 7:55pm

Only parts of the USA will see the total eclipse.

The path of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse begins in the United States in Texas and ends in Maine. Credit: Google, INEGI

The Moon, directly between the Sun and Earth, casts a shadow on our planet. If you’re in the dark part of that shadow (the umbra), you’ll see a total eclipse. If you’re in the light part (the penumbra), you’ll see a partial eclipse.

The Moon has to be between the Sun and Earth for a solar eclipse to occur. The only lunar phase when that happens is New Moon.

The reason the total phases of solar eclipses vary in time is because Earth is not always at the same distance from the Sun, and the Moon is not always the same distance from Earth. The Earth-Sun distance varies by 3 percent and the Moon-Earth distance by 12 percent. The result is that the Moon’s apparent diameter can range from 10 percent smaller to 7 percent larger than the Sun’s.

During the time the Moon’s disk covers that of the Sun — and only then — it’s safe to look at the eclipse without a solar filter or eclipse glasses. In fact, to experience the awesomeness of the event, you must look at the Sun without a filter during totality.

For the Partial eclipse in Ireland do not look at the sun without solar glass as it will not be total.

Weather for Ireland

The forecast for Ireland for Monday evening does not look great with heavy rainfall to the south and east with drier conditions across the southwest, west, northwest. All areas is looking cloudy.