HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE braved driving rain, heavy wind and long queues to see Commander Chris Hadfield at a book signing in Dublin today.

The queue at the side entrance to Eason today. (Pic: Norah Jordan)

The former commander of the International Space Station stayed beyond the allocated two hours in a bid to meet all of his fans who turned up at Eason on O’Connell Street, but eventually had to leave.

Demand for his book An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth was so high that Eason ran out of copies, leaving some people disappointed.

Luke Lally from Offaly was one of the first to meet Chris Hadfield today. (Pic: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland)

Chris Hadfield tweeted about a ‘hero’ who saved the day for some of those left without books. “I heard a man bought books at other shops & gave them free to bookless children in line in Eason’s,” he wrote. “So nice – hero! Who was he? Anyone know?”.

Hadfield has been credited with inspiring a generation on the wonders of all things space-related after he tweeted and made YouTube videos about life aboard the International Space Station, where he spent 144 days.

Hadfield signs his name on the Easonology section of Eason’s. (Pic: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland)

Irish people claimed as special affinity to Hadfield, who took several stunning photographs of Ireland from space and sent the first tweet in Irish from space (and later received a special award for tweeting as Gaeilge)

Chris Hadfield was made an Honorary Leonardo of the Science Gallery at TCD today. (Pic: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)

Hadfield appeared on The Late Late Show last night where he was interviewed by Ryan Tubridy and performed his version of the David Bowie classic Space Oddity.

What a man.

(Video: RTE/YouTube)

Read: Some of the many things we learned from Chris Hadfield’s time in space >

Read: Commander Hadfield’s son made a lovely ad for his dad’s book >

Read: Commander Chris Hadfield got an award for tweeting as Gaeilge >