chasing shadows: sun, stars & the solar eclipse

On Saturday 29th March, between 10:00 and noon, a partial solar eclipse will be visible from across the UK. The moon will pass between the Sun and the Earth blocking out almost half of the visible solar disk. 

Come along to the Ulster Museum for a day of solar eclipse fun that promises to take you out of this world! Our friends from Queen's University Belfast will have a range of different solar eclipse related activities for you to enjoy - from solar telescopes to inflatable planetarium shows!

View the eclipse 

Come and see the partial solar eclipse, with the Moon covering up to 40% of the Sun, viewable from 10:00 to 12:00 outside the Tropical Ravine. We’ll give you a chance to watch the eclipse safely using solar telescopes and eclipse glasses. We'll even show you how to project the eclipse using two sheets of paper! 

Note: This activity is weather permitting. You should never look directly at the Sun.

Drop-in talk with Dr Ryan Milligan: "Chasing Shadows: How to view a partial solar eclipse"  

Find out how eclipses occur and how they can be viewed safely in this talk at 12:00 (midday) in the Elements Gallery. 

Inflatable planetarium shows

Step inside our inflatable dome and explore the night sky. Find out how we can see the whole life cycle of a star in a single night in this 15 minute show. We'll discover the places where stars are born, how they grow, and what things they leave behind when they're gone.

There are limited spaces for this show and can be booked on the day at Ulster Museum reception. The shows take place every 30 minutes at 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00 and 14:00. 

Planeterella demonstrations

The aurorae are nature’s very own beautiful and dynamic light show, generated by our sun! Discover how 'space weather' is produced on earth with our mobile planeterella, an incredible artificial demonstration of the aurorae.

Draw the sun!

Did you know that the sun has layers? In this activity you will discover the structure of the sun, and draw its layers yourself! Add in a moon and you have a pocket eclipse you can take home with you. Suitable for the entire family.

Ryan Milligan from the Astrophysics Research Centre (ARC) at Queen's University Belfast, said:

“Clear skies will be needed to witness this event and exact times may vary slightly, although it should be visible from much of the UK around 11am. Just remember, never to look at the Sun directly – always use special glasses, a telescope or the pinhole trick.

“While partial solar eclipses are relatively common, around once a year, this weekend’s event is particularly exciting as it’s the prelude to the much rarer, total solar eclipse due to happen in August 2026.

“The 2026 event will be the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe this millennium, so it’s a pretty big deal and should be very dramatic. We’ll be talking about that too, on Saturday.”

Please note, this is a free event with no booking needed.