The last time a comparable solar event was visible from Sweden was in 2015, and there won't be one in this class again until 2039, so if you want to see the astronomical phenomenon, now's your chance.
The eclipse will happen when the Moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking part of the Sun’s disk from view and casting its shadow on the ground.
In order to see a total eclipse you will need to travel to Spain, but in Sweden the sun will be around 80 percent obscured, depending on where you are.
The weather forecast for Wednesday is for clear skies for most of Sweden – with some clouds possible in a few coastal and mountain areas farther north – so the view should be good.
Here's how to make the most of it:
Times
In good news for those who are still working in August, the eclipse takes place in the evening, before sunset (thanks to Sweden's northerly position), so most people will not need to worry about taking time off work.
The partial solar eclipse begins around 7pm and peaks around 8pm in most of Sweden. In the far north, the phenomenon begins and ends up to 20 minutes earlier. However the timings vary slightly depending on where you are.
Place
You will want to view it from somewhere that has a good view to the west – anywhere that you can normally see the sun set from your location should work, bearing in mind that as the eclipse ends the sun will be quite low in the sky.
Sunset at this time of year in Sweden is between approximately 8:45pm (southern Sweden, including Stockholm and Malmö) and 9:45pm (Kiruna).
Glasses
Looking directly at the sun is dangerous, so you will need special protective glasses.
Many places are now have sold out, but some still have stocks available, so it's worth checking your local optometrist or general pharmacy-supplies store (Redditors in Sweden are suggesting Normal co.)
READ ALSO: What to do if you can't find solar eclipse glasses in Sweden
If you're not able to find any, there are alternative ways to view the eclipse such as creating a pinhole camera, watching via shadows, or using a disco ball.
Meteors
Wednesday's celestial dance does not end with the eclipse – the Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak during Wednesday night when observers could see up to 150 meteors per hour under favourable conditions. This will happen later in the evening – the best time is usually after midnight.
You will get a better view of this one if you are in a place with dark skies, outside of the city. Conditions are ideal for seeing the peak, since it occurs during a new moon phase.
Eclipse magic
A total solar eclipse, in which 100 percent of the sun is covered by the moon, is unlikely to be experienced in Sweden by anyone alive today: it won't happen in Sweden until October 2126.
Robert Cumming, astronomer and communicator at Onsala Space Observatory, tells Swedish newswire TT that "it's hard to describe a total solar eclipse, you really have to experience one."
"It is perhaps the most spectacular thing the sky has to offer."
But even from Sweden there are good chances of a fun experience tonight.
At most, about 83 percent of the sun's disk will be obscured, at around 8pm.
"The sun's disk will look like a crescent, a bit like the moon usually does. It is the narrowest solar crescent we will see in quite a while," said Robert Cumming.
With reporting from TT
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