A rare cosmic phenomenon brought crowds of people onto the streets of Merseyside 27 years ago today (August 12). People across the world will be treated to one of the best astronomy events of the decade, as a solar eclipse will be visible across many countries, and in the UK, millions can see a partial solar eclipse.
Solar eclipse visible across the UK
The solar eclipse will be visible across the whole of the UK today. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, obscuring the Sun for a viewer on earth. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning daylight into darkness as totality occurs in a narrow path across the planet's surface.
People watching in the south west are likely to see the greatest proportion of the Sun covered by the Moon. This partial eclipse will almost be total, with around 90-96% of the Sun being obscured by the moon at the maximum. The amount of coverage you'll see depends on your location within the UK and Ireland. You'll need a clear view to the western horizon to see the eclipse, as the sun and moon will be setting and therefore low on the horizon.
1999 eclipse brought crowds onto Merseyside streets
The last time the path of an eclipse's totality went over the UK was in 1999. At the time, the UK witnessed its first total solar eclipse in over 70 years on August 11, 1999 - the last one visible to people living in the UK was in 1927. The event brought people out onto the streets of Merseyside to witness the phenomenon.
Colleagues, neighbours, and families gathered onto the streets with their eyes fixed on the skies, just after 11am, as darkness fell mid-morning. These images, courtesy of our archives, Mirrorpix, capture people leaving their homes and offices to experience the rare event. Some photographs show crowds on the streets of the city centre, whereas others headed to the likes of Bidston Hill and Hightown to fix their eyes on the sky.
How people watched the eclipse
Forewarned in the days leading up to the event, many people peered through dark sunglasses, while some projected the image of the eclipse onto paper and X-ray sheets.
