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How the North West watched the solar eclipse

Paul BurnellNorth West
News imageBlackpool Pleasure Beach Image shows a family sitting on an artificial grass verge watching the solar eclipse, and wearing eclipse glasses. The outline of the Big One rollercoaster can be seen in the background. Blackpool Pleasure Beach
People descended on Blackpool Pleasure Beach to watch the eclipse

Thousands of people gathered on beaches and in parks to get the best spots to watch the solar eclipse in the North West.

Between 90% and 96% of the sun slowly disappeared behind the moon, starting from just after 18:00 BST and finishing at about 19:20.

While the people of Greenland, Iceland and parts of northern Spain were destined to see a total eclipse, the eclipse witnessed in the UK was still the best since August 1999.

Huge crowds gathered at Heaton Park in Manchester, and at Crosby beach on Merseyside to watch the once-in-a-generation display.

People also flocked to Salford Quays, and tourists at Blackpool Pleasure Beach broke off to watch as the moon slowly eclipsed the sun.

News imagePeople scattered across Crosby beach view the eclipse.
Hundreds flocked to Crosby beach
News imageDozens of people can be seen sitting on a small concrete sea wall at Crosby beach in Merseyside.
People lined the shore at Crosby beach to watch the eclipse
News imageAndy Gill/BBC Pauline Stain has a white sunhat and white tokp. Richard HOwared has white hair sunglasseds and blue shnorrts. Both arwe seated in deck chairs.Andy Gill/BBC
Pauline Strain and Richard Howard did not want to miss the event

Pauline Stain, who was Crosby beach with her partner Richard Howard, said: "It's a phenomenon. It's almost spiritual. I probably won't be alive for the next one.

"Unfortunately I missed 1999 because I was working but I'm retired now."

News imageImage shows over a hundred people standing on a bridge at MediaCity, looking up into the sky
Crowds gathered at MediaCity in Salford to watch the once-in-a-generation display
News imagePaul Burnell/BBC Matethew Moran has brown hair and a bward and a darwk T-shirt. He holds his home made viewer.Paul Burnell/BBC
Matthew Morman, watching at Salford Quays, had to improvise to view the eclipse

Matthew Moran, from Salford, headed to view the event at MediaCity, taking with him a hastily assembled viewer made from a cereal box and silver foil.

"I did it about 30 minutes ago and it's working," he said.

News imageKyle Shiels A close up of the partial eclipse viewed in MediaCityKyle Shiels
The BBC's Kyle Shiels took this shot from one of the bridges at MediaCity in Salford.
News imageHannah Harrison A liver-and-white springer spaniel and a black cocker spaniel wearing eclipse glassesHannah Harrison
Hannah Harrison's pets Nessa and Bracken view the eclipse in Rainford
News imageJade Taylorson/BBC People view the eclipse via a telescope in Heaton Park in ManchesterJade Taylorson/BBC
Thousands went to Heaton Park in Manchester to view the eclipse
News imagePeople view the eclipse with the dish of Jodrell Bank radio telescope in the background.
Large crowds gathered at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire

Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.

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