The UK’s view of the eclipse

A view of the partial solar eclipse from Orkney, taken by Callum Potter.
Royal Astronomical Society Fellow Callum Potter captured this beautiful image of the partial solar eclipse from Rousay, Orkney on Monday 8 April 2024.
Credit
Callum Potter

This beautiful image of the Sun slightly obscured by the Moon reveals what the ‘Great American Eclipse’ looked like from the UK.

Tens of millions of people across the US, Mexico and Canada got to savour an awe-inspiring view of a total solar eclipse on Monday 8 April, but sadly only a few in the UK and Ireland got to witness even a partial eclipse.

Most people living in western parts of the two countries missed out because of cloud cover.

However, Royal Astronomical Society Fellow Callum Potter was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the partial eclipse on Rousay, one of the remote Orkney Islands, because skies were clear in northern and western Scotland.

He snapped a picture of the natural phenomenon - which happens when the Moon crosses paths with the Sun and blocks it from view - after cycling round to the north west side of the island to get a clear view of the Sun setting into the Atlantic.

Most of the UK missed the partial solar eclipse because of cloud cover.
Sadly, most of the UK missed the partial solar eclipse because of cloud cover. This picture was taken by Dr Jamie Gallagher in Glasgow.
Dr Jamie Gallagher
This NASA map shows the path of totality for the total solar eclipse in April 2024.
This NASA map shows the path of totality for the total solar eclipse across North America on 8 April 2024.
NASA
This image was taken from Dallas, Texas by Mark Tomasso around totality.
This image was taken from Dallas, Texas by Mark Tomasso around totality.
Mark Tomasso

"It had been a fine sunny day, but as the evening approached, clouds gathered so I had some doubts about the prospects for the eclipse," Mr Potter said.

"To be honest, I did not really see the eclipse at the time, but took plenty of photos hoping I might catch something. It was tricky trying various camera settings, manual focus and live-view. Sunset came and I spent a while just reflecting on the view. Back home I found the eclipse on a couple of frames - a really lucky break."

The solar eclipse's path of totality - where it was fully visible - ranged from Mexico’s Pacific coast to US states including Texas, Illinois, Ohio and New York.

It then made its way to Canada, moving from the city of Montreal to the provinces of New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

The last time a total solar eclipse was seen from the UK was in 1999, although the only place to witness totality was Cornwall. Such a spectacle will not be visible again from the UK until 23 September 2090, or 3 September 2081 from the Channel Islands.

There are between two and five solar eclipses each year, with a total eclipse taking place somewhere in the world every 18 months or so.

Total solar eclipses are seen every 400 years from any one place on the surface of the Earth.

Mark Tomasso also took this image of the eclipse from Dallas.
Mark Tomasso also took this image of the eclipse from Dallas, Texas.
Mark Tomasso
Image of the solar eclipse taken in Houston, Texas by David Prescott.
This image of the solar eclipse was taken from Houston, Texas by David Prescott.
David Prescott
Image showing the edge of totality from Dundas, Ontario, Canada.
This image of the solar eclipse at the edge of totality was taken by Martin Shepley in Dundas, Ontario, Canada.
Martin Shepley
Diagram showing how a solar eclipse occurs.
This diagram shows that a solar eclipse happens when the Moon crosses paths with the Sun and blocks it from view.
Royal Astronomical Society

 

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Sam Tonkin

Royal Astronomical Society

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Notes for editors

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Submitted by Sam Tonkin on