Falkirk area residents will be able to watch a spectacular solar eclipse this week.

The partial eclipse on Wednesday, August 12 will be the closest the British Isles have come to a total eclipse in 27 years.

An eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the earth, blocking much of the sun's light. This casts a small shadow on earth for a short period.

In Falkirk, the moon is expected to cover around 91 per cent of the sun, creating a dramatic crescent in the sky and a noticeable change in light.

A partial solar eclipse will take place above the UK on Wednesday evening. (Pic: Getty Images)

placeholder image — A partial solar eclipse will take place above the UK on Wednesday evening. (Pic: Getty Images)

For those keen to witness the celestial event they will need a clear outlook towards the western sky, where the eclipse will unfold on Wednesday evening.

The eclipse will begin as the moon moves in front of the sun at approximately 6.08pm and it will reach its maximum around an hour later at 7.05pm. It will finish at around 8pm.

Those keen to witness the event are reminded they must never look directly at the sun without suitable protection.

Ordinary sunglasses are not safe for eclipse viewing. Only special eclipse glasses displaying the recognised ISO 12312-2 safety certification should be used and must be worn whenever looking towards the sun.

For those unable to get their hands on eclipse glasses – which have been in high demand in the run up to the event – there are other safe ways to view the eclipse including creating your own pinhole projector or using a kitchen colander to project the sun onto a surface.

The current weather for the Falkirk area on Wednesday is sunny intervals hopefully providing local viewers the chance to see the eclipse.

The phenomena will be visible as a partial eclipse throughout the UK and Ireland, while parts of Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain will experience a total solar eclipse.