Wednesday, August 12th marks a rare solar eclipse which will be visible from much of Italy.
Although you need to travel to Spain, Iceland or Greenland to see it as a total eclipse, the sun will be around 90 percent obscured in most of northern Italy.
The totality will be at around 92-95 percent in Liguria and Piedmont, 88-92 percent in Lombardy and the northeast and 85-90 percent on Sardinia’s western coastline, dropping to 70-85 percent in central Italy and 40 percent in Sicily, according to weather site iLMeteo.it.
Weather reports predict mostly cloudless skies, offering good viewing conditions, though the sun’s low position on the horizon when it takes place could cause buildings or hills to block your view, making location key.
The eclipse begins at around 7.30pm and is expected to reach its peak between 7:52pm and 8:22pm depending where along the Italian peninsula you’re watching from.
Looking directly at the sun, however, is dangerous – you need special eclipse glasses (occhiali per eclissi solare). These should have the 'CE' mark and the number ISO 12312-2:2015, showing that they meet relevant safety standards. Normal sunglasses will not protect your eyes.
The glasses normally sell for between €2 and €5, although as shortages increase some places have indulged in a little price gouging.
READ ALSO: Solar eclipse sparks scramble for protective glasses across Europe
But where do you find these glasses?
Ordering online from specialist websites has been the preferred option, but it's now probably too late to guarantee delivery. There are, however, some other places to try.
Opticians – many opticians stocked up with the glasses in advance. As eclipse fever rises, many have already sold their stock, but it's worth asking at your local optician.
Pharmacies – many pharmacies also stocked up in advance, and you might still find some at your local pharmacy.
Hardware stores – Hardware store chains such as Leroy Merlin had bought stocks of glasses, but many stores now appear to be sold out, with the glasses showing as 'unavailable' on their websites.
Specialist shops – shops that specialise in astronomy, or museums dedicated to astronomy and science, have also been selling the glasses in recent weeks.
1999 glasses – Italy last experienced a solar eclipse in 1999, but in bad news for anyone who held on to their glasses from that occasion, these should not be used now as the filters will be too degraded to protect your eyes.
Even with the protective glasses, it is advised not to look directly at the sun for more than two consecutive minutes, and give your eyes regular breaks from the bright light of the sun.
If you can’t find the glasses, alternative observation methods exist; punch a small hole in aluminium foil or cardboard and project an image of the Sun onto a light surface on the ground.
What if I can’t see the eclipse?
If you can’t find a way to safely view the eclipse – or are in a part of Italy with low visibility – you can still witness a celestial spectacle on Wednesday in the form of the Perseid meteor shower.
This annual event in the astronomical calendar, which lasts for several days, is usually observed in Italy on the Notte di San Lorenzo on August 10th, but astronomers say viewing conditions this year will be optimal on Wednesday, August 12th.
That’s because this date coincides with a new moon, “which will leave the sky dark just when the Perseid meteor shower will be nearing its maximum activity”, according to news agency Ansa.
“For the entire night the sky will be completely free from the disturbance of moonlight, allowing even the faintest meteors to be observed”, say representatives of the Italian Amateur Astronomers Union, making this year “one of the best opportunities of the decade to witness the spectacle of shooting stars.”
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