Millions across Europe will be treated to two celestial displays on Wednesday, when a total solar eclipse crosses the continent and the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak the same night.
The moon will pass directly between Earth and the sun, causing a total eclipse visible from parts of Russia, Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain and Portugal. The maximum period of totality will last about two minutes and 18 seconds. A partial eclipse will be visible across much of western Europe, including the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland and northern Italy, as well as parts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania and Libya.
The eclipse will begin globally at 15:34 GMT, with totality starting at 16:58 GMT, reaching its peak at 17:46 GMT and ending at 18:34 GMT. The partial eclipse will conclude at 19:57 GMT.
Separately, the Perseid meteor shower, one of the brightest annual meteor displays, will peak on the night of August 12 through dawn on August 13. The shower is caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle and is known for producing bright fireballs. Under ideal dark-sky conditions, observers can expect between 75 and 100 meteors per hour, appearing to radiate from the constellation Perseus.
The total eclipse will not be visible from Saudi Arabia or in totality from any Arab country, according to the Jeddah Astronomy Society. However, the meteor shower will be visible across the Kingdom, with the best viewing from 1 a.m. until sunrise.