Skip to content

Solar eclipse: Moon blocks part of the Sun over the UK

Now you see it, now you don't - the UK's only solar eclipse of the year is spotted in Glasgow

The UK's only solar eclipse of the year has taken place.

The partial solar eclipse began at 10:08 BST in London, with the maximum eclipse at 10:59. It could be seen across the UK until about midday.

Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, casting a shadow.

One of the best views was in Lerwick in the Shetland Isles, with 28% of the Sun obscured at mid-eclipse.

The Royal Astronomical Society reminded people to never look directly at the Sun, even during an eclipse.

Press Eye A partial solar eclipse visible over Cullercoats Watch House in North Shields.Press Eye
The eclipse was visible over Cullercoats Watch House in North Shields
Chris Brown Solar eclipse from ShetlandChris Brown
Shetland witnessed one of the best views of the partial solar eclipse
An observer of the eclipse in Aberdeen
Astronomers recommended capturing the eclipse through a telescope or pinhole, as shown in Aberdeen

Internationally, the partial eclipse was first visible in Iceland at 09:58 BST, before it passed over the northern hemisphere, said the IMCCE observatory in Paris. It was due to come to an end off the coast of India at 14:02 BST (18:32 local time).

Dr Robert Massey, of the Royal Astronomical Society, said observers in western Siberia received the best view of the eclipse, with the Moon obscuring about 82% of the Sun.

PA Media A partial solar eclipse visible over Stoodley Pike, a 1,300-foot hill in the south Pennines in West Yorkshire on 25 October 2022PA Media
The rare phenomenon saw up to a quarter of the sun obscured by the moon
Ben Birchall/PA Wire A partial solar eclipse visible over BristolBen Birchall/PA Wire
The partial solar eclipse, as spotted over Bristol
Nik/BBC Weather Watchers The partial eclipse as seen from Boxted in EssexNik/BBC Weather Watchers
It was also captured by residents in Boxted, Essex

The Royal Observatory Greenwich said even though a portion of the Sun's light was blocked, it did not get noticeably darker in the UK.

"Can't believe the clouds held back," said Laura Ngo, who captured the partial solar eclipse in Witham, Essex, by putting a camera at the back of her telescope.

Laura Ngo Partial solar eclipse in Witham, EssexLaura Ngo
Laura Ngo captured the partial solar eclipse in her back garden in Essex
Getty Images a partial solar eclipse visible from Hyderabad, IndiaGetty Images
The partial solar eclipse as seen from Hyderabad, India
Mr N Roberts The partial solar eclipse captured at the Discovery Academy in Hyde, Greater ManchesterMr N Roberts
A primary school teacher in Hyde, Greater Manchester, used a telescope to capture the partial eclipse on his hand
Wymondham College A partial solar eclipse taken from a telescope using a Herschel prismWymondham College
This image of the eclipse was captured using a telescope fitted with a Herschel prism at Wymondham College in Norfolk

The next partial solar eclipse will be visible from the UK in March 2025, with a total eclipse not forecast over UK mainland until 2090.

But people in the UK will be able see a partial lunar eclipse - when the Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon and creates a shadow across the lunar surface - next October.

A total eclipse of the Sun is expected to pass over North America in April 2024 and in Spain in 2026.