Crowds across the UK gathered with safety glasses to witness the biggest partial solar eclipse in 27 years, with more than 90 per cent of the sun covered by the moon on the evening of August 12.
People flocked to locations including Heaton Park and Platt Fields Park in Manchester, as well as Jodrell Bank and Blackpool Pleasure Beach, to catch the rare sight. It marked the fullest eclipse seen in the UK since the total solar eclipse in 1999.
Demand for eclipse glasses
Many scrambled to secure the correct eyewear, with demand so high at Heaton Park that crowds gathered simply to collect a pair of glasses. Those without them resorted to DIY methods, such as pinhole viewers made from cereal boxes.
Some camped out at Barton Aerodrome and Manchester Airport, with flights even taking off during the occasion. One couple, Jerry and Jamie Bone, planned their wedding at Alpheton in Suffolk for over a year to coincide with the eclipse, providing special glasses and filters for guests.
Expert reaction
Dhara Patel, space expert at the National Space Centre, said some people may have become emotional while watching. She described the eclipse as “incredible”, adding: “We’ve had solar eclipses over the last couple of years, about 30% coverage. They’ve been good, but this is definitely a different scale. And what’s really nice is it’s a way for lots of people to come together and connect with nature – looking up at the sky at objects that we typically tend to take for granted.”
Global spectacle
Outside the UK, a large part of Spain, as well as parts of Portugal, Greenland and Iceland, experienced a rare total eclipse.
