Millions Witness Deepest Partial Solar Eclipse Since 1999
British Isles experience celestial spectacle as public improvises viewing methods and anticipates Perseid meteor shower peak.
Callum Smith
The moon obscured over 90 per cent of the sun across much of the British Isles today.
People gathered near Stonehenge in Wiltshire to witness the phenomenon.
Events such as parties, picnics, workshops, and talks marked the occasion, fostering a sense of communal celebration.
Convenience stores, national parks, and the Royal Greenwich Observatory reported selling out of eclipse glasses ahead of the event.
Despite the scarcity of official viewing equipment, many improvised. Crowds queued for eclipse glasses near Goring-by-Sea, while others found alternative methods.
Glenda Whiles and David Hearn used a colander to view the eclipse from the South Downs. People in Great Bookham, Surrey, similarly improvised with colanders to watch the event unfold.
John Lewis reported a nearly 40% increase in colander sales compared to the previous year.
Veronica Orozco shared her experience, stating, "It is my second solar eclipse. I was in Venezuela and I was young and I thought that the Sun would not come back. My dad said ‘it is science, of course it will come back.’ Now sitting here at the age of 41, it is still magical. I am sitting here with my neighbours and we have been telling each other ‘Happy Eclipse Day’."
Images of the eclipse were captured from Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, documenting the widespread observation.
The eclipse is understood to be the country's fullest for the next 54 years. The next total solar eclipse in the UK is not expected until 2090.
As the celestial focus shifts, the annual Perseid meteor shower is set to reach its peak on the night of August 12-13.