Armagh Observatory and Planetarium was packed as families and astronomy enthusiasts gathered to watch a rare partial solar eclipse described as the deepest visible from the region since the total eclipse of August 1999.
The event took place on Wednesday evening, with the eclipse visible in Irish skies shortly after 6pm and maximum coverage occurring shortly after 7pm. In County Armagh, the moon was expected to cover about 94% to 95% of the sun, although the sky did not become completely dark.
Large crowds gather in Armagh
Armagh Observatory joined viewing events organised in Dunsink, Dublin, and at Blackrock Castle in Cork. People flocked to the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, where organisers said the planetarium was “packed out” in anticipation of the astronomical event.
The eclipse also drew large crowds elsewhere on the island. One of the biggest gatherings was in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, while Queen’s University in Belfast hosted a watch-along event under cloudy skies. At Croke Park, spectators watched the eclipse before a pre-season football match between Manchester United and Leeds United.
In Phoenix Park, crowds cheered and clapped as the skies darkened when the moon moved across the sun. A telescope was set up to provide a safe view, while some people brought homemade viewing devices made from cereal boxes. Two stewards at Croke Park used welding masks to watch the eclipse safely.
Why the eclipse was so unusual
The last eclipse visible in Ireland was in 1999, and the next time an eclipse of this scale is expected to be seen in the region is not until 2090. Coverage was forecast to reach 98% in the west and south of Ireland, compared with about 94% in the east and north.
Some parts of the world, including areas of Spain, Greenland and Iceland, were expected to experience a total eclipse. In Armagh, however, the event remained partial: the moon passed between Earth and the sun and blocked most, but not all, of the sun’s visible disc.
Professor Michael Burton, director of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, said the event offered visitors a sense of being part of a much larger astronomical occurrence. He described the eclipse as a reminder that Earth is travelling through the solar system and that people are connected to events beyond the planet.
Anticipation builds across Ireland
Interest in the eclipse was also evident in Dublin, where hundreds of people queued in George’s Street to buy specialist viewing glasses. The queue outside the Designist shop stretched for hundreds of yards, and some people said they had waited up to two hours for glasses priced at 10 euro.
At Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, Dr Rok Nezic said anticipation had been building for hours. He said eclipses may be common in space, but seeing one close to home is rare, and expressed hope that the experience would inspire a new generation of astronomers.
The event was presented as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many viewers, because another eclipse of comparable significance is not expected locally until 2090.
