HELENSBURGH could be among the best places in the UK to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse next week.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth casting a shadow on to the surface of the planet.

Western parts of the UK and Ireland will be at the edges of the eclipse path, allowing residents to see the sun become slightly covered.

UK Weather Updates, a page run by an amateur weather enthusiast from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, shared some of the best places to see this impressive event.

Scottish cities named among the best places in the UK to see solar eclipse

With sunset taking place at around 8.10pm across the UK and Ireland on April 8, only a few places will be able to see this partial eclipse.

Professor Don Pollacco, an astronomer from Warwick University, says that the visibility path of a total eclipse is "extremely narrow" at around 80 miles.

He adds: "From the UK and Ireland, you will see a partial eclipse of the sun close to sunset, with about 20 to 30 per cent of the sun obscured by the moon."

The town of Belmullet will see the most coverage in the UK and Ireland with a 44 per cent obscuration.

This will be followed by Galway with a 35 per cent obscuration.

In the UK, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be the best places to see the partial eclipse.

In Derry, there will be an obscuration of 21 per cent with Glasgow reportedly set for an obscuration of 11.2 per cent, the best in Scotland.

This will be followed by the Scottish cities of Edinburgh at 6.2 per cent and Aberdeen at 4.3 per cent.

The best place to see the eclipse in England will be Liverpool with only a 0.64 per cent obscuration from 7.57pm.

Those planning on watching the partial eclipse should do so safely and use appropriate eye protection.

Professor Pollacco says: "With no protection, you will at best damage your eyes, or you could blind yourself."

It is recommended that viewers use eclipse glasses, which reduce the brightness of the sun to safe levels.