It got a bit dark, then it got a bit light – and for most of Britain that was it. Across much of the country today’s partial solar eclipse was less astronomical spectacular, more Fifty Shades of Grey. But for a lucky few the clouds parted in time, to provide the best glimpse of an eclipse Britain will have until 2026.
In Glasgow, a fleeting gap in the clouds at 9.30 came just in time to reveal the eclipse maximum – with 95 per cent of the Sun obscured. In Edinburgh, where the weather forecast actually included the words “sunny”, the view was even better.
In London though, where crowds had gathered in Regent’s Park for an event organised by the Royal Astronomical Society, there