A partial eclipse of the sun will be able to be observed from Bulgaria on August 1 2008, Bulgarian National Radio said. The eclipse will last for an hour and 15 minutes, between 12.26pm and 1.46pm. The eclipse will reach its maximum over Bulgaria at 1.04pm, with 1/10 of the sun being covered by the moon.

The eclipse will be best visible in northern Bulgaria, where it will last the longest.

In Sofia, special telescopes will be installed in front of NDK (National Palace of Culture), commercial bTV said. The telescopes are designed for observing the eclipse.

Doctors usually advise to avoid watching an eclipse with ordinary binoculars, sunglasses or other instruments that are not specially designed for the purpose, such as the plastic PC diskettes that people used in August 1999, when Bulgaria witnessed a full eclipse.

Improper viewing can be a considerable risk for the eyes.

The eclipse will start from the territory of northern Canada, after which it will be seen from northern Greenland, Siberia, northern Mongolia and north-western China.

People in Canada, Northern Europe, Russia and China will witness the eclipse in its full form.