Largest solar eclipse in sixty years
A total solar eclipse will be seen slightly east of Iceland on March 20th and will be partial, or around 97 percent in the capital. Photo/ Afp
Iceland will see the largest solar eclipse in sixty years on the morning of March 20th when the moon will shadow up to 99 percent of the solar disk in east Iceland and 97 percent in Reykjavík. All school children will receive special glasses to observe the solar eclipse from an Icelandic stargazing website, Stjörnuskoðun.is.
A total eclipse of the sun will be seen slightly east of the country in which case observers will have to get on a special flight or sail on a boat.
The largest partial eclipse of the sun in Iceland in recent years took place on June 1st 2ö11 when the moon shadowed 96 percent of the solar disk. The next total eclipse of the sun will be visible in Reykjavík on August 12th, 2026.
Sævar Helgi Bragason at the Seltjarnarnes star gazer's association says that the solar eclipse this March will reach a climax at ten a.m and that it should be possible to see Venus to the left of the sun at the same time. He adds that he's heard of several people flying to Iceland especially for this occasion.
