Kildare readies for solar eclipse
Kildare households will be looking carefully to the skies this evening as partial solar eclipse takes place.
Kildare mum Evelyn de Oliveira and and her three and half year old son Lucca travelled to Dublin on Wednesday in a bid to get the much in demand eclipse glasses.
Hundreds of people queued on George’s Street to buy glasses to view the eclipse outside the Designist shop.
Such was the demand for the glasses, Evelyn and Lucca from Johnstown were in the queue for two hours.
However, the long queue was worth it for the opportunity to experience the event together.
"For many people, it was simply a queue for eclipse glasses, but for me it was about spending time with my son and making memories together," she said.
Despite his young age, Lucca remained patient throughout the wait.
"He was an incredible little companion," Evelyn said. "The long queue became a little adventure for him."
She also spoke fondly of the kindness shown by others during the day. A woman waiting in the queue treated Lucca to an ice cream, while shop staff regularly checked in and offered him water.
"Those small gestures meant a lot," she said. "Seeing people look out for a young child on such a busy day made the whole experience feel very warm and community-focused."
The mother said recent personal challenges had encouraged her to appreciate everyday moments more deeply, making the chance to witness the eclipse with her son particularly special.
Evelyn said: “By the end, those eclipse glasses were no longer just glasses to me.
“They meant the possibility of standing beside my little boy, looking up at the same sky together and creating another memory that belongs only to us.”
The partial solar eclipse will begin between 6.09pm in the north and a bit later the farther south you go. Mid-eclipse will be between 7.07pm and 7.13pm and will end just after 8pm across the island.
By mid-eclipse the sky will appear darker than expected but light levels will still be generally equivalent to a heavily overcast winter’s day, or 10-20 minutes before sunset on a clear evening. The sun’s low altitude at this time may alter expectations, though.
A reasonably clear western skyline would allow you to watch the proceedings as the sun starts to get low.
The sun will be about 15 per cent above the horizon during the eclipse, an angle that could mean it is obscured by tall trees or buildings, so a clear western horizon will be essential.
Changes in the ambient light level will only become apparent when the sun is nearly 80 per cent obscured.
That is often experienced as an abrupt drop in brightness as our eyes compensate for changing light levels in a logarithmic way rather than linearly.
The west and south of Ireland are to see 98per cent coverage of the sun, while this is expected to be around 94 per cent in the east and north of the island.
Some areas of the world are expected to see a total eclipse, including parts of Spain, Greenland, and Iceland.
Maynooth University has sold out its 450 tickets for a public viewing event, and there is a waiting list with hundreds more
Armagh Observatory has joined those in Dunsink, in Dublin, and Blackrock Castle in Cork in organising viewing events.
