Once-in-a-generation solar eclipse wows millions in UK and EuropeMore than 95% of the Sun was covered by the Moon in Cornwall, while parts of Spain experienced the magic of a total eclipse.12 hrs agoScience & Environment

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.

Those watching the astronomical phenomenon from the UK were treated to a partial eclipse, which peaked shortly after 19:00 BST, when most saw more than 90% of the Sun covered by the Moon.

But parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain experienced the complete darkness and spectacle of a total eclipse.

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.

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 nibbling away at the Sun.

Much of central and southern England and Wales enjoyed perfect clear skies giving them an unrivalled view as the Moon moved slowly across the Sun over the course of an hour.

Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland were cloudier, but it did not stop crowds turning out at famous landmarks across the country.

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 high-street shops and online suppliers all but sold out. Stock turned up for sale in unexpected places as retailers sought to cash in on demand, including a central London bakery.

But that did not deter people – colanders, cereal boxes and pieces of paper were deployed to offer them a glimpse of the partial eclipse safely.

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.

As time ticked by, slowly but surely the Moon obscured more of the Sun – acting like a dimmer switch as it did so.

As seen from the UK, the Sun, Moon and Earth were not quite directly in line.

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 was as high as 95%.

Parts of Spain got to experience something even more magical.

At roughly 19:30 BST (20:30 local time), the Sun, Moon and Earth were perfectly aligned – a total eclipse.

Chilean scientist Yasmin Catricheo, travelled thousands of miles to A Coruña, north-west Spain for the event.

“At the totality, everyone was cheering and sharing the excitement of what we were seeing. No words could describe the feeling,” she said.

“The Universe is amazing.”

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.

Crowds along the path of the total eclipse in Spain were treated to that rare event – with the red glow of the Sun behind the Moon to go with it.

The light coming from the darkness was the Sun’s corona – superheated jets of gas thrown thousands of miles out into space.

And for those looking closely they may have seen small loops of pink gas called prominences following the Sun’s turbulent magnetic field.

And then, the Moon began to reveal the Sun that it had hidden.

The total eclipse lasted for less than two minutes – but for many it was unforgettable.

The fact that we get to experience a total eclipse at all is an incredible cosmological coincidence.

The Sun is 150 million kilometres (93 million miles) away from the Earth – 400 times further away than the Moon.

But because the diameter of the Moon is 400 times less than the Sun’s, they appear exactly the same size in our sky.

If the Moon was slightly smaller or its orbit was a little further away from the Earth then we would never see a total eclipse.

We’re about to enter a “golden age” of total solar eclipses between 2026 and 2028.

Eclipse chasers can travel around the world to be wowed by the spectacle of three total solar eclipses in the next couple of years.

But none of these are visible in the UK. The best the country will see is a partial eclipse in 2027 when there will be about 45% coverage in some regions.

It will be decades until the UK experiences a fuller solar eclipse than Wednesday’s.

That will be in 2081, where up to 99% of the Sun will be covered.

And the UK’s next total solar eclipse will be in 2090.

Additional reporting George Burke

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