Dunnet
Head Bed & Breakfast,
Brough, Caithness, KW14 8YE
Tel: 01847 851774
Email: [email protected]
We
are the
most northerly B&B on the UK mainland
Annular eclipses are more frequent
than total solar eclipses, and are rare in Britain. The last annular eclipse
was on 8 April 1921 and the next will be on 23 July 2093.
In Scotland the eclipse should have
been
visible in most of the Highlands, Orkneys, Shetlands and Lewis beginning at
approximately 3:45am and ending at 5:45am with the mid point at approx.
4.45am depending on location.
A solar eclipse involves the moon
passing between the earth and the sun. An annular eclipse occurs when the
moon covers the centre of the sun but not its edges, so that a ring (or
annulus) of light around the moon.
Because the annular eclipse leaves a
section of the sun visible to the naked eye at all times, it can’t be
viewed safely with the naked eye.
Welders' goggles or the filters for
welder's goggles with a rating of 14 or higher are safe to use for looking
directly at the Sun.
Special viewing shades were available in the tourist information centres at Durness, Bettyhill, Wick and
Thurso
The best places in the Highlands to
view the eclipse were between Durness and Duncansby Head . Since the eclipse
occurs just as the sun is rising, it should have been right on the horizon. So you
needed a clear view of the horizon in the direction of the sun, which will be
to the northeast. You should have made sure there should are no hills in the way.
As it happened, the eclipse was a
wash out at Dunnet Head, with a haar obscuring any view. Ah well, next
time! Everyone had a good time, and I have never seen the B355 so busy
- it was like the M25 in the rush hour!
