AI Generated Image
Solar eclipse in South West and Channel Islands gets under way
BBC • • science
Key Points:
- Thousands gathered across the South West and Channel Islands to witness a partial solar eclipse, with 94% to 96% of the Sun obscured at its peak around 19:15 BST.
- The eclipse lasted nearly two hours, from approximately 18:20 to 20:10, with over 90% coverage visible across much of the UK.
- Alan Smith, chief astronomer at Norman Lockyer Observatory, highlighted the rarity of such events at any one location, noting that good eclipses can be decades or even a century apart.
- Many viewers shared eclipse glasses due to limited availability, and the event drew families, tourists, and enthusiasts eager to experience the spectacle.
- The eclipse coincided with the UK's fifth heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 30°C, recalling the 1999 total solar eclipse which was also prominently visible in Cornwall and the Channel Islands.
