Thousands of people gathered across Merseyside on Wednesday evening, August 12, to witness a spectacular partial solar eclipse, as the Moon passed in front of the Sun. The Moon covered more than 90% of the Sun, marking the greatest coverage seen from the UK and Ireland since the 1999 eclipse, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.
Rare celestial event
The UK last witnessed a solar eclipse in March 2025, but on that occasion only around 30-40% of the Sun was covered. Tonight, the sky noticeably darkened as sunlight was blocked out. Families and friends gathered at beauty spots across Merseyside on a glorious summer evening to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. The next partial eclipse of a similar scale may not be visible until 2050.
Creative viewing methods
At Crosby beach, many spectators watched through specially designed eclipse glasses, while others used homemade viewing equipment crafted from cereal boxes and cardboard. Some onlookers even brought colanders to help watch the eclipse safely.
Reader photos
Hundreds of ECHO readers sent in stunning photographs of the eclipse. The gallery features 24 images, including shots from John Hurley, who used a welding mask glass over his camera lens, and Tracy O'Connor, who caught the sun reflected on her daughter's cheek. Other photos came from locations including West Derby, Wigan, Halewood, Haydock, Garston, Huyton, and Bootle Cemetery.
