A HAT-TRICK of major astronomical events is sweeping across Scotland this week, with the Northern Lights the latest attraction for stargazers.
Lancaster University's AuroraWatch UK has issued an amber alert for sightings of the aurora borealis, the second highest rating.
It means the spectacle is likely to be visible from Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland - if the night sky is clear.
The aurora borealis is caused by the interaction of the solar wind - a stream of charged particles escaping the Sun - and Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere.
British Geological Survey said a geomagnetic storm, the cause of the aurora, was "currently in progress".
It comes after a spectacular meteor was photographed from the shores of Loch Ness on Sunday, and as excitement builds ahead of the solar eclipse on Friday when Northern Scotland will have the best view in the UK.
People living on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis will see 98 per cent of the sun obscured at around 9.36am on Friday, the closest to total eclipse in the UK.
It is the biggest solar eclipse for Scotland since 1954, far outstripping the much-hyped 1999 eclipse which only saw the eclipse 72-90 per cent of the sun covered in Scotland.
Eclipse watchers in Edinburgh will have a unique vantage point for the spectacle as the city's famous Camera Obscura attraction open its doors early.
The Camera Obscura and World of Illusions centre on the Royal Mile will be open to visitors from 8.30am, just as the moon makes first contact with the sun's disc in the skies over Scotland.
By 9am, the moon will be half-covering the sun, with peak coverage of 94 per cent over Edinburgh expected at 9.35am, turning the skies dark for around three minutes.
Visitors to Camera Obscura will have the unique opportunity to observe the eclipse on the camera obscura viewing table, which it is believed was invented over two millennia ago for safely observing solar eclipses.
The next partial solar eclipse is not expected for another ten years and the next total solar eclipse observable from the UK will only occur in 2090.
Andrew Johnson, manager of Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, said "Viewing the eclipse through our camera obscura is perfectly safe and will ensure some of the best views in the city.
"The last time we had a partial eclipse, it was an incredible sight, and we hope to offer our visitors an equally compelling experience this Friday as well."
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