Thousands of Tyroleans watch partial solar eclipse

Thousands of people in Tyrol travelled on Wednesday evening to watch a partial solar eclipse, ORF reported. Large crowds headed to the Glungezer, a 2,677-metre mountain near Tulfes.

The eclipse began at 7:42 p.m. as the Moon moved in front of the Sun. In Austria, however, the eclipse was only partial. Visitors at the Glungezer could reach the mountain by cable car and were equipped with special glasses to protect their eyes from lasting damage.

Access roads to Tulfes were closed to visitors after traffic began building up at about 6:20 p.m. Only local residents were allowed to use the roads. Parking searches also caused disruption in the village, affecting traffic from Hall in Tirol as well as from Sistrans and Aldrans. At times, the traffic jam extended back to the Hall-Mitte motorway exit.

The clear night also offered good conditions for watching the Perseid meteor shower. The annual shower occurs in mid-August as Earth crosses the trail of dust left by the comet Swift-Tuttle. The particles enter the atmosphere at high speed, burn up and create flashes of light.