Viewing: www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

Thousands of people gathered to watch the partial solar eclipse on Wednesday evening

Bookmark
Share
Comments

22:50, 12 AUG 2026

A solar eclipse set against a golden sky, captured by Ellie Longman

(Image: UGC)

A spectacular partial solar eclipse lit up skies across Merseyside tonight (Wednesday, August 12) as thousands of people gathered to witness the Moon pass in front of the Sun.

During one of the rarest and most impressive astronomical events visible from the UK, the Moon covered more than 90% of the Sun. According to Royal Museums Greenwich, it was the greatest coverage seen from the UK and Ireland since the 1999 eclipse.

The UK last witnessed a solar eclipse in March 2025, but on that occasion only around 30-40% of the Sun was covered by the Moon. Tonight, more than 90% was obscured, causing the sky to noticeably darken as sunlight was blocked out.

Families and friends gathered at beauty spots across Merseyside on a glorious summer evening to soak up the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. The next partial eclipse of a similar scale may not be visible until 2050.

At Crosby beach, many spectators watched through specially designed eclipse glasses, while others got creative with homemade viewing equipment crafted from cereal boxes and cardboard. A couple of onlookers even brought colanders along to help watch the eclipse safely.

Hundreds of ECHO readers sent in stunning photographs of the eclipse this evening. See if you can spot yours in the gallery below.