A partial solar eclipse will occur on Saturday March 29th.  In Cork it will occur between 10.00 and noon with the maximum occurring at 10.55, when over one third of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon.   Cork Astronomy Club will hold a public eclipse watch in the courtyard of Blackrock Castle  starting at 9.30 a.m.   There will be eclipse glasses available – an eclipse MUST NOT be observed without them – and special solar telescopes will be on hand.   Let’s hope for a clear sky.

The graphic shows what happens when a total solar eclipse occurs — a small portion of the globe experiences a total eclipse while a larger area, lying within the penumbra, experiences a partial eclipse.   On this occasion however, the umbra will miss the Earth entirely, therefore nowhere will experience a total eclipse.