LANCASTRIANS turned out to witness a near-total solar eclipse yesterday, despite much of the country being covered by cloud.

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 mainly hidden behind a blanket of cloud.

There were even reports of birds “going crazy” and flocking to trees, confused by the fading light.

Schoolchildren, students, and residents from across East Lancashire put their pens down, stepped away from their keyboard, and went outside to see the phenomenon.

Dozens of people gathered at Crown Point in Burnley to see the Moon slowly cover the Sun, while students at St Mary’s College in Blackburn used a telescope and a cardboard box to view the eclipse.

At Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School in Accrington Mr Cunningham set up a telescope in the yard.

Head teacher Xavier Bowers said: “We had groups of kids in science who were observing the eclipse as it happened.

“Our science groups watched a projected image, and we shared how it works and how there will not be another one for a long time.

And youngsters at St Oswald’s School in Knuzden slept over to gaze at the stars on Thursday night before waking up to see the sunrise ahead of the event.

Internet users in the region uploaded their snaps to Facebook and Twitter – neither of which were around during the last solar eclipse of similar significance in 1999.

 

Eight facts about the solar eclipse in Great Britain

  • A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves in its orbit between the sun and the Earth.
  • Globally, there are five eclipses — also known as ‘occultations’ — every year.
  • Depending on the angle of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, the eclipses can be ‘total’ or ‘partial’.
  • A total eclipse happens when the Moon completely blocks the sun and casts a shadow, known in astronomy circles as an ‘umbra’.
  • Yesterday’s eclipse was partial in East Lancashire, with only a thin sliver of the sun left visible at around 9.32am.
  • It was total in certain areas of the world, including the Atlantic, Faroe Islands, and Svalbard.
  • The last solar eclipse of this significance was in August 1999 with 100 per cent 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 in Great Britain is not until September 2090.