Hundreds of people gathered along the coast near Goring-by-Sea for Eclipse Portsmouth, watching a partial solar eclipse that obscured about 90% of the Sun across southern England. The scene drew people to beaches, parks and attractions across the South East, with the next partial solar eclipse visible from the UK not expected until 2050.
Glenda Whiles and David Hearn watched from the South Downs using a colander to help view the eclipse. At other spots, people in Great Bookham, Surrey, used the same improvised method, while people on Tunbridge Wells Common wore solar glasses.
Goring-by-Sea and the South Downs
Cars queued near Beachy Head while sky watchers waited high up on the South Downs. Along the coast near Goring-by-Sea, the turnout ran into the hundreds, adding to the crowds that gathered across the South East for the event.
Parties, picnics, workshops and talks were held to mark the eclipse. Sussex gathered images from across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, showing how widely people had spread out to watch the Moon pass in front of the Sun.
Great Bookham and Tunbridge Wells Common
The partial eclipse was the key detail for viewers: it covered about 90% of the Sun, but not all of it. That left enough daylight for people to follow the event without a full blackout, and enough of the Sun showing to make solar glasses and other viewing aids part of the scene.
The next total eclipse is not expected until 2090. For people who missed this one, the practical takeaway is simple: the next chance to see a partial eclipse from the UK comes in 2050, long before a total eclipse returns.
