Exact time solar eclipse hits Galway and where people can get glasses
There has been mass hysteria to buy special glasses to witness this monumental event with one Galway shop having to come out and address false rumours that they were one of the few stores stocking them
Experts have been able to pinpoint the exact times of when the solar eclipse will first start in Galway; when it will reach its maximum point and when it will finish.
The west will be best ahead of this evening’s rare event - which we haven’t seen the likes of since 1999 and won’t again until 2090 according to experts - with a 98% sun blockage chance if the skies remain clear.
Starting at around 6pm, the sun’s light will be completely blocked out turning what should be a normal bright summer’s day into complete darkness by 7:10pm, according to experts, before returning to normal an hour later.
Temperatures will become noticeably more chilly too while this happens so make sure to have a coat nearby.
There has been mass hysteria to buy special glasses to witness this monumental event with one Galway shop having to come out and address false rumours that they were one of the few stores stocking them.
The Bon Bon shop in Salthill said: “Hi all, just to let you know, we do not have glasses in stock for the eclipse, sorry for the misinformation posted by someone.”
Glasses have not been easy to come by, with subscribers of Astronomy Ireland Magazine the luckiest of the lot after the Magazine was inundated with requests.
NASA has warned you will need proper eclipse glasses to look safely at the eclipse which are “thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses”
Watching the eclipse without these special glasses is not recommended nor is recording the eclipse on a smart device which could end up frying the chip inside.
It will be the first time the solar eclipse has been so visible since 1999 with the next chance of a total viewing said to be as late as 2090.
And all of this effort will be in vain if the weather doesn’t play ball. We need completely clear skies in order to see the solar eclipse with Met Eireann providing hourly updates ahead of today’s event.