Armagh Observatory and Planetarium is showcasing a truly unique fusion of art and science — thanks to one of its own. PhD student Alice Humpage has turned a year’s worth of cloud cover data, recorded at Armagh by the MET team, into a striking hand-crocheted blanket that quite literally weaves together creativity and climatology.
Using cloud observations gathered daily at 9am throughout 2024’s 366 days (due to the leap year), Alice translated the data into individual crocheted hexagons — each representing a single day of the year. The resulting artwork vividly depicts the cloudiness over Armagh during 2024, with dark hexagons marking clear skies and lighter shades indicating increased cloud cover. The design features nine distinct yarn colours, each symbolising a different level of cloud cover observed.
The project highlights just how rare completely clear mornings are in the region — only six days out of the entire year recorded fully cloudless skies. For those viewing the blanket, January 1st begins at the bottom right corner, while December 31st concludes the design at the top left.
Alice, whose research focuses on the evolution of near-Earth asteroid fragments, explained her inspiration:
“I’d seen other examples of temperature blankets and thought it would be a fun and creative way to present the cloud cover we measure at our weather station. It ties together my work in science and my hobby of crochet and will be a nice keepsake of my time at the observatory.”
The project has already caught the attention of staff and visitors alike, with its beautiful pattern offering more than just aesthetic value – it’s a conversation starter about the environment, observation, and the role of creativity in science.
Sinead Mackle, Education and Outreach Manager at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, praised the project as a perfect example of STEAM learning in action:
“At Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, we’re passionate about bringing science to life in new and unexpected ways. Alice’s blanket is a beautiful embodiment of how art can be used to tell scientific stories. It’s a tangible reminder that STEM isn’t just about numbers and graphs – it’s about creativity, expression, and curiosity too.”
The Observatory and Planetarium team is now exploring ways to exhibit the piece, with plans to share the project both regionally and nationally in the coming months.
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