Thousands turn out to watch solar eclipse
Getty ImagesThousands of spectators have turned out to watch as a partial solar eclipse gets under way across the South West and Channel Islands.
About 94% to 96% of the Sun will be covered by the Moon across Devon, Cornwall, Jersey and Guernsey when the eclipse peaks at about 19:15 BST.
More than 90% will be covered for most of the rest of the UK.
The spectacle is expected to last about one hour and 50 minutes, starting at about 18:20 and finishing by 20:10.
Western parts of Pembrokeshire in Wales are also set to see the eclipse at its fullest.
The rest of Wales, Northern Ireland, parts of the West Midlands and other part of the South West, and the westernmost parts of Scotland can expect to see 92% to 94% solar coverage.
Alan Smith, chief astronomer at Norman Lockyer Observatory in Sidmouth, Devon, said: "What we're seeing is the dark side of the Moon, which isn't illuminated by the Sun, gradually crossing the solar disk.
"After a few minutes, you begin to see that it is progressing slowly.
"For a moon moving at 2000 miles an hour, it doesn't look like it is shifting quickly.
"We get two solar eclipses every year, but a good eclipse in any one place - you could be waiting a long time, 100 years or more."
