Millions Enjoy 'Eerie' Eclipse

Millions turned out to witness Britain enter the twilight zone of a near-total solar eclipse but much of the country was covered by cloud.

Some lucky sky-watchers did get to experience the full extent of the event as the moon crossed in front of the sun, covering up to 97% of its face.

One of the best vantage points was in South Gloucestershire, where amateur astronomer Ralph Wilkins described the eerie'' feeling as a chilly gloom descended and shadows sharpened.

Elsewhere there were reports of birds going crazy'' and flocking to trees, confused by the fading light.

For much of the UK, the eclipse revealed itself as an abnormal level of darkness at 9.30am in the morning while the sun remained hidden behind a blanket of cloud.

But there were pockets of clear skies over Wales, parts of the West Country and the Midlands, and eastern Scotland around Edinburgh.

Around the UK, the proportion of the sun covered by the moon increased towards the north, ranging from 84% in London to 89% in Manchester, 93% in Edinburgh and 97% in Lerwick in the Shetland Isles.

Times also varied. In overcast London, the eclipse began at 8.24am, and reached its maximum extent at 9.31am. For observers in Edinburgh, it started at 8.30am and peaked at 9.35 am.

The last solar eclipse of such significance occurred on August 11 1999, and was total'' - with 100% of the Sun covered - when seen from Cornwall.

Another deep'' partial eclipse visible in the UK will not occur until August 12, 2026, and the next total eclipse not until September 2090.

Ralph Wilkins, from the London-based Baker Street Irregular Astronomers, who joined a group of sky-watchers outside a school in Hambrook, South Gloucestershire, to witness the eclipse, said: The sky started clearing just after first contact and we were able to watch the moon glide in front of the sun.

It was a unique experience - eerie is the right word for it. The shadows started to sharpen and everything began to develop this yellowish hue.

Whenever there's a solar eclipse in the UK you tend to get cloud, so to be treated to clear skies was really wonderful. It really was beautiful. We were all thrilled.''

In sunny Edinburgh, around 200 people gathered outside the Scottish Parliament to watch the eclipse, while in Bristol sky-watchers standing by the Clifton Observatory took turns to look through a giant pinhole camera.

Standing stones added to the atmosphere at Stonehenge and on the Isle of Lewis, with clouds parting at both locations to allow people to witness the event.

A short break in the clouds brought gasps of excitement from hundreds of primary school children gathered at Glasgow Science Centre who managed to catch a glimpse of the eclipse.

But others were left nursing disappointment.

Around 600 people gathered in London's Regent's Park for an event organised jointly by the Royal Astronomical Society and Baker Street Irregular Astronomers, only to be thwarted by the clouds.

Simon Bennett, who co-founded the Baker Street group, said: We've been unlucky, but that is what astronomy is - you can't guarantee anything.''

He added: The level of interest in the night sky and the daytime sky is quite remarkable.''

In Eastbourne, East Sussex, complete cloud cover spoiled the eclipse for dozens of people gathered on the Western Lawns, including a number of children who had been given time off school.