Birmingham Cathedral is hosting a unique viewing event as part of its tercentenary celebrations and will also announce the Cathedral’s tercentenary arts events.
Astronomers from the University of Birmingham will be in the Cathedral Square, Colmore Square, Birmingham from 8.30am to 10.30am on Friday 20 March to offer a commentary on the solar eclipse which will be at its maximum of 80% at 9.30am.
The Cathedral and its gardens on Colmore Row will offer a significant setting for the eclipse viewing as the church building was founded three hundred years ago in 1715 when a similar eclipse was visible across city.
This event is part of the Cathedral’s tercentenary celebrations and the Cathedral is using the occasion to announce plans for a major celebratory arts event in 2015 linking multi-faith communities across the city and celebrating Birmingham’s roots as a place of scientific and philosophical thinking over the three centuries.
The Very Reverend Catherine Ogle, Dean of Birmingham said: “We are delighted to host a unique event which marks three centuries of scientific understanding in Birmingham, since the early days of Birmingham’s Lunar Society in the 1700s. At this time of our anniversary we are celebrating the growth of our church which grew into a cathedral and our town which became a city and we are inviting everyone to become involved in our celebrations.”
Rosemary Richards, Arts Producer added: “The link between our arts events, the eclipse and astronomy lies in our arts themes’ focus on light, dark and the eclipse, which have acted as a foundation for the design of the cathedral’s commissioned arts events for 2015. The moment of the eclipse links the past heritage of the cathedral and Birmingham with the contemporary thinkers and artists of 2015. We are delighted to welcome the University of Birmingham astronomers to the cathedral to explain the scientific significance of the eclipse.”
The solar eclipse viewing is weather dependent but open to everyone outside in the cathedral grounds.
