Hopefully we’ll have clear skies that evening
13:41, 17 Jun 2026Updated 13:43, 17 Jun 2026
Blackrock Castle Observatory (Image: Blackrock Castle Observatory )
Ireland is set to experience a rare cosmic event this summer, and Blackrock Castle Observatory are marking it with a special art exhibition.
On the 12th of August, there will be a solar eclipse. Irish skies will darken as the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth, blocking out the sun’s light. Ireland will experience up to 97% solar coverage.
If you want the best chance at catching it, head down to Blackrock Castle Observatory, where an exhibition featuring painting, sculpture, mixed media and digital art will be taking place to mark the rare celestial event.
The sun’s corona is visible as the moon passes in front of the sun during a total solar eclipse at Big Summit Prairie ranch in Oregon’s Ochoco National Forest near the city of Mitchell on August 21, 2017.
The Sun started to vanish behind the Moon as the partial phase of the so-called Great American Eclipse began Monday, with millions of eager sky-gazers soon to witness “totality” across the nation for the first time in nearly a century. / AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Donna Fitzgerald, Gallery Curator at Blackrock Castle Observatory, said: “Solar Eclipse is a celebration of both creativity and curiosity. We invited artists to respond to the upcoming eclipse in whatever way resonated with them, and the resulting exhibition is incredibly diverse, imaginative and thought-provoking. It demonstrates how art can help us connect with scientific phenomena on a personal and emotional level.”
“As excitement builds ahead of the eclipse in August, we hope this exhibition will encourage people to visit the Observatory, engage with local artists and experience the wonder of this rare celestial event from a fresh perspective.”
The exhibition will run throughout the summer in the lead up to the eclipse and explores themes of light and shadow, transformation, wonder and connection, while highlighting the relationship between art and the cosmos.
The last solar eclipse visible from Cork was in March last year, and covered approximately 40% of the sun’s surface at its peak.
For more info check out their website.