Moments before the total solar eclipse in the sky above Arcos de las Salinas, near Spain, the landscape was plunged into sudden, eerie darkness as the Moon perfectly obscured the Sun, leaving skywatchers in awe.
The UK and Europe have enjoyed their most dramatic solar eclipse for nearly 30 years, with millions thought to have witnessed the once-in-a-generation event. This astronomical phenomenon served as a powerful reminder of the scale and beauty of our solar system.
Those watching from the UK were treated to a partial eclipse, which peaked shortly after 19:00 BST. At this moment, most observers saw more than 90% of the Sun covered by the Moon. The partial eclipse began at about 18:00 BST in northern Scotland and just before 18:20 on the south coast of England.
It was imperceivable at first, but for those blessed with cloud-free skies, crowds noticed the Moon slowly nibbling away at the Sun. Large crowds at viewing sites across the UK and Europe reacted with gasps and cheers, with astronomy enthusiasts saying it served as a reminder of how “amazing” the universe is.
The path of the total eclipse began at the northern tip of Siberia in Russia, far away from crowds and telescopes. But it soon began curving around the Arctic Ocean, arriving in Iceland in the early evening before sweeping southwards to treat the UK to part of its wonder.
Much of central and southern England and Wales enjoyed perfect clear skies, giving them an unrivalled view as the Moon moved across the Sun over the course of an hour. While Northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland were cloudier, this did not stop crowds from gathering at famous landmarks.
With solar eclipse glasses in short supply, people improvised with colanders, cereal boxes, and paper to view the event safely. As time ticked by, the Moon acted like a dimmer switch, obscuring more of the Sun until the peak of the eclipse.
The result was a partial eclipse, with the Moon covering about 90% of the Sun for most of the UK—the country’s most dramatic eclipse since 1999. In Cornwall, this coverage reached as high as 95%.
Parts of Greenland, Iceland, and Spain experienced the complete darkness of a total eclipse. At roughly 19:30 BST (20:30 local time), the Sun, Moon, and Earth were perfectly aligned. Chilean scientist Yasmin Catricheo, who travelled to A Coruña, Spain, noted: “At the totality, everyone was cheering and sharing the excitement of what we were seeing. No words could describe the feeling.”
During totality, the Sun’s corona—superheated jets of gas—became visible, along with small loops of pink gas called prominences. The total eclipse lasted for less than two minutes, but for many, it was an unforgettable experience.
The fact that we can experience a total eclipse is an incredible cosmological coincidence. The Sun is 150 million kilometres away, 400 times further than the Moon. However, because the diameter of the Moon is 400 times less than the Sun’s, they appear exactly the same size in our sky.
Looking ahead, experts suggest we are entering a “golden age” of total solar eclipses between 2026 and 2028. While the UK will see a partial eclipse in 2027 with 45% coverage, the next total solar eclipse for the UK will not occur until 2090, with a 99% coverage event expected in 2081.
A total solar eclipse happens somewhere on Earth every 18 months or so.
But they are much rarer for any given place, only occurring once in roughly 400 years.
The Sun is 150 million kilometres (93 million miles) away from the Earth – 400 times further away than the Moon.
Some had been successful in getting hold of solar eclipse glasses, but the vital eye protectors were in short supply in the run-up to the event with opticians, hardware shops and bakeries all selling out.
Large crowds gathered at Calton Hill, Edinburgh, but had to negotiate cloudy skies
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking some or all of the Sun’s light and casting a shadow on our planet.
Composite image showing the process of a total eclipse over an hour as seen from Arija, Spain
People turned out in towns across Europe, including Herten, Germany for what could be their best partial eclipse for 50 years.
The best the country will see is a partial eclipse in 2027 when there will be about 45% coverage in some regions.
