Solar eclipse sweeps across UK, parts of Europe

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A rare solar eclipse is underway across the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, as the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, temporarily blocking part of the Sun’s light.

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The eclipse became visible in Edinburgh at about 6:28pm BST on Wednesday, with the phenomenon expected to reach its peak in the Scottish capital at around 7:06pm.

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According to the BBC, observers at Calton Hill in Edinburgh watched as the Moon gradually moved across the Sun, with sunspots reportedly visible through a telescope.

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The eclipse had already begun in parts of Iceland and Greenland, while several other European countries were expected to experience a total eclipse as the Moon moved along its path.

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More than 90 per cent of the Sun was expected to be obscured across much of the UK, making the event the most significant solar eclipse visible from the country since 1999.

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The spectacle attracted large crowds to viewing sites across the UK, with reports that specialist eclipse glasses had sold out in some locations.

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Russia, Spain witness eclipse

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The eclipse first reached the northernmost part of mainland Russia at about 1700 GMT, where the Moon covered the Sun and left the outer corona visible against the darkened sky.

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The eclipse then moved across Greenland and Iceland before reaching Spain, where its path stretched diagonally from the northwestern Atlantic coast towards the Mediterranean.

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Large numbers of tourists and astronomy enthusiasts gathered in Spanish towns and villages to witness the event, amid heightened interest because mainland Europe had not experienced a total solar eclipse for two decades.

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Spain, in particular, had not witnessed a total solar eclipse for more than 100 years.

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A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow on Earth and blocking some or all of the Sun from view.

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Experts have warned observers against looking directly at the Sun without certified eye protection, as doing so can cause serious and permanent damage to the eyes.

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The eclipse has also attracted scientific interest, with Irish researchers planning to travel across the Atlantic to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, during the event.

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