A sequence image captured the Moon moving across the Sun at Caterham in Surrey
ByTanya Gupta
South East
Eclipse watchers gathered on beaches, hilltops and parks to watch the Moon pass in front of the Sun on Wednesday, describing the rare event as "incredible".
People across Kent, Surrey and Sussex brought out solar glasses and improvised pinhole cameras with kitchen colanders to watch the celestial event. Many turned the occasion into a picnic or party in the sun as temperatures climbed into the 30s.
Between 18:20 and 20:10 BST, the Moon caused a near-total eclipse of the Sun, giving people across the UK their best chance to witness the phenomenon since 1999.
Cars queued on coastal roads as eclipse enthusiasts gathered on beaches from Whitstable to Goring-by-Sea.
Spectators also flocked to the South Downs, and people turned up to witness the moment at beauty spots from Tunbridge Wells Common in Kent to Ockham Common in Surrey.
Image source, BBC Weather Watchers / SusySunshine
Image caption, The eclipse created dramatic sunset views across Surrey
Rhiannon Quinche, from Tunbridge Wells, said it was "amazing" and the "strangest thing ever".
She said: "It was like everything kind of went dark and it's just like this really eerie light, and even the birds don't know what's happening, it's so amazing, this little line of sun, I've not seen anything like it before."
Rhiannon Quinche described the eclipse as "the strangest thing ever"
In Eastbourne, Michael Simpson watched the eclipse with his daughter Chloe, and his sister, Anne.
He was in Nigeria when the 1999 solar eclipse happened, but it was the rainy season and there wasn't much to see, although he did notice the birds "took off".
Watching this year's eclipse from the UK, he said it was "amazing".
He said you could feel the temperature dropping and the light getting dimmer, before what looked like a crescent moon appeared, except it was a "crescent sun".
Chloe, Anne and Mike Simpson used eclipse glasses and homemade viewing equipment
On top of the South Downs, Stephen Whiles, Glenda Whiles, David Hearn and Andrea Illingworth were watching the event together after walking up from their homes.
Glenda said: "It's just such a special day and we didn't really want to miss it. We live in the perfect spot. We just walked up the hill. Our back gate is just down there. We thought we'd celebrate with a glass of bubbly."
Friends watched the eclipse from the Eastbourne Downs with a glass of bubbly
