Stargazers across Europe were treated to a night of astronomical sights as the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower followed the finest solar eclipse seen in decades.
The Moon obscured more than 90 per cent of the Sun, representing the greatest extent to which it has been blocked above British skies since the total eclipse of 1999.
Crowds gathered at various viewing locations across the country, including the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London, Stonehenge in Wiltshire, Calton Hill in Edinburgh, and outside Queen’s University in Belfast.
Spectators equipped themselves with special glasses alongside homemade viewers constructed from cereal boxes and colanders. Others brought along their own chairs, while photographers were spotted with cameras.
Footage shared on social media showed a long queue of people in Goring, West Sussex, appearing to wait for glasses to be handed out to view the eclipse.
Following the eclipse, there was a 650% increase in the number of people searching “sore eyes” on Google in the UK, compared to the same time on Tuesday.
It came after experts warned people to view the spectacle only with ISO 12312-2 solar eclipse glasses for the safest eye protection, as sunglasses would be insufficient.
The English Heritage charity said the eclipse peaked over Stonehenge at about 7pm on Wednesday.
Gasps of “wow,” “oh my god” and “this is so cool” were uttered by skywatchers at Greenwich Park, south-east London, as the event took place.
Thousands gathered on Crosby beach in Merseyside, and as the eclipse reached its peak, The Beatles’ Here Comes The Sun was played by a DJ who was stationed on top of a bus at an outdoor bar and street-food venue The Bus Yard.
Hundreds of people were at Cardiff Bay barrage with heavy traffic in the Penarth area as people tried to make it in time for the peak of the event.
Jerry and Jamie Bone, aged 30 and 25 respectively, had planned their wedding at Alpheton in Suffolk for over a year so that they could get married on the day of the eclipse.
The couple provided special glasses and filters so that guests could view the event.
Hours after the eclipse had passed, British stargazers were treated to an extra delight as the Perseid meteor shower lit up the night sky across the UK.
The phenomenon peaked in the early hours of Thursday morning, with those in rural areas having a better chance of getting a clear glimpse of the shower.
The shower is produced as Earth ploughs through a stream of dust left behind by Comet Swift–Tuttle.
Each tiny grain strikes Earth’s atmosphere at about 60 kilometres per second, burning up in a brief flash that takes the appearance of a shooting star.
Convenience stores, national parks and the Royal Greenwich Observatory had all exhausted their glasses supplies ahead of the eclipse, which was the country’s fullest for the next 54 years.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory said it had sold approximately 15,000 pairs of eclipse glasses, a sellout, in the last month.
The Eclipse in pictures:
John Lewis said colander sales increased nearly 40% compared to last year, with Nasa recommending the kitchen item as a way to watch an eclipse by viewing the shadows it casts on the ground.
Only special solar eclipse glasses that are ISO 12312-2 certified for the safest eye protection were recommended to be used and sunglasses are not sufficient, experts said.
Following the 1999 total solar eclipse, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists reported around 70 cases of people experiencing vision problems after watching the eclipse.
Around 40% had looked at it for less than a minute.
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