People in West Cork are getting ready for this evening's solar eclipse while a team of scientists has taken to the skies to observe the natural phenomenon off the west coast.

While locals make last-minute preparations like securing a pair of eclipse glasses, researchers from Trinity College Dublin and Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) are onboard an Airbus C295 aircraft from the Irish Air Corps.

The science team will examine the sun’s outer atmosphere through a high-tech solar telescope, built using spare flight components from two European Space Agency solar missions (Proba-3 and Solar Orbiter).

As part of the observation, the aircraft’s bubble window will be opened, giving the telescope a clear view of the eclipsed sun.

In County Cork, the solar eclipse is expected to be visible between 6.15pm and 8.08pm today (August 12th).

During a total solar eclipse, the moon blocks out the sun’s bright disc, briefly revealing the glowing outer atmosphere around it, also known as the corona.

Joe McCauley, Senior Experimental Officer at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Physics, said: 'Trinity is taking the lead on setting up and running the solar telescope that will be used to image the corona from an open window at 13,000 feet.'

Along with Trinity’s Joe McCauley, the Irish-Italian eclipse team includes Lucia Abbo, Gerardo Capobianco, Hervé Haudem (INAF); Ciarán O’Callaghan (TU Dublin), and Prof. Peter Gallagher (Director of Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), Dunsink Observatory) and Dr Laura Hayes (DIAS).