The eclipse in Shropshire as it happened
[gallery] Thousands of people were out to see the partial solar eclipse as it passed over Shropshire today.
The near total solar eclipse passed over the county this morning, bringing out thousands of sky-gazers as the moon moved in front of the sun from 8.30am.
Members of Shropshire Astronomical Society met on the car park of Lyth Hill, near Shrewsbury, where they were viewing the spectacle.
Across the country millions of people turned out to witness the phenomenon, despite much of the country being covered by cloud.
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The eclipse on Twitter:
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Some lucky sky-watchers got to experience the full extent of the event as the moon crossed in front of the sun, covering up to 97% of its face.
One of the best vantage points was in South Gloucestershire, where amateur astronomer Ralph Wilkins described the "eerie" feeling as a chilly gloom descended and shadows sharpened.
Elsewhere there were reports of birds "going crazy" and flocking to trees, confused by the fading light.
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For much of the UK, the eclipse revealed itself as an abnormal level of darkness at 9.30am in the morning while the sun remained hidden behind a blanket of cloud.
But there were pockets of clear skies over Wales, parts of the West Country and the Midlands, and eastern Scotland around Edinburgh.
Around the UK, the proportion of the sun covered by the moon increased towards the north, ranging from 84% in London to 89% in Manchester, 93% in Edinburgh and 97% in Lerwick in the Shetland Isles.
Times also varied. In overcast London, the eclipse began at 8.24am, and reached its maximum extent at 9.31am. For observers in Edinburgh, it started at 8.30am and peaked at 9.35 am.
The last solar eclipse of such significance occurred on August 11 1999, and was "total" - with 100% of the Sun covered - when seen from Cornwall.
Another "deep" partial eclipse visible in the UK will not occur until August 12, 2026, and the next total eclipse not until September 2090.
More Shropshire eclipse tweets
Getting set for the eclipse:
