Image by Lutfar Rahman Nirjhar, licensed under Creative Commons
The United Kingdom today rejoiced as it bore witness to its first total solar eclipse since 1999. At least, the parts of it that weren’t covered in blanket clouds rejoiced, and many of the people therein took to their streets and gardens to capture shots of this historic occasion.
Sadly, with AP towers located in Central London, we weren’t especially fortunate. Here is our extremely #professional attempt at documenting this celestial milestone:
https://twitter.com/AP_Magazine/status/578855699280740352
Luckily, plenty of our more geographically privileged followers were on hand to improve on our sorry effort:
https://twitter.com/dontfeedthecow/status/578858120853766144
https://twitter.com/wild_sonia/status/578859458476027904
https://twitter.com/pe_morgan/status/578859736814215169
https://twitter.com/Manser1967/status/578863477294501888
https://twitter.com/matt_ormston/status/578874211319619584
https://twitter.com/I_AM_CLAIREEY/status/578872557870280704
https://twitter.com/sara760810/status/578881854729789440
https://twitter.com/BusterBB001/status/578878834335973376
https://twitter.com/PhilipMulhall/status/578876591629053952
And plenty of other photographers around Twitter were also doing some sterling work:
https://twitter.com/RichardCowley2/status/578856822787944448
https://twitter.com/MikeTonge/status/578857619542118400
https://twitter.com/officialbantams/status/578857207036571648
https://twitter.com/BBCLancashire/status/578857083010985984
https://twitter.com/markforrer/status/578857024877891584
https://twitter.com/paulmoffatphoto/status/578855105438552064
Be warned though – you may have seen this ‘amazing’ image purportedly taken from the International Space Station circulating around.
https://twitter.com/JasonElsom/status/578837369496932352
It’s actually a fake, created in Photoshop some time ago, as documented by Gizmodo here.
If you missed this eclipse then you’ll have to wait eleven years until the next decent one, which is scheduled in for 12 August 2026. After that, you’ll have to wait 23 September 2090, so put that one in your diary now before you forget.
Also, at some point over the next eleven years try to read our guide to viewing and photographing the eclipse, so you’ll have no excuse not to be ready.
Well done to everyone who got a shot of the eclipse, and commiserations to everyone who lives under a sea of unrelenting cloud like we do. Next time!
