Everyone's excited about this morning's solar eclipse

Thousands of people across Ireland will hope to catch a glimpse of the deepest solar eclipse since 1999 this morning.

Fri, 20 Mar, 2015 - 07:16

Thousands of people across Ireland will hope to catch a glimpse of the deepest solar eclipse since 1999 this morning.

The moon should block at least 97% of the sun, but there are concerns the view could be obscured by cloud.

However, we should still notice the effects - it will become colder and birds and animals are likely to go quiet as darkness falls.

Associate professor in physics at Trinity College Dublin Dr Peter Gallagher said: "There's an eclipse once every 18 months somewhere on the planet, but then for any point on the planet, it can be 500 to 1,000 years before you get a full eclipse.

"They're very, very rare. For scientists, it's a great opportunity to study the sun."

Beginning at around 8.20am and peaking at 9.28am, the eclipse will cause Ireland to become noticeably darker - and colder - as the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, partially blocking out its rays.

The event will finish at around 10.40am as the sun reappears from behind the moon.