Partial solar eclipse draws crowds across UK
The phenomenon, which occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, peaked in London at 11am.
Because the star, the planet and its satellite are not perfectly aligned, only part of the Sun is obscured in such an eclipse.
Speaking from Lewes in Sussex, at around 11am, Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, said: 'There's a really nice crowd of people, everybody's really excited, there's people wearing eclipse glasses, looking through the telescopes we've got set up.
'We're loving it and it's a lot of fun. It's a great public atmosphere, it's a really nice event. There's a huge amount of enthusiasm about it.'
He added: 'As expected, the Moon started moving in front of the Sun about an hour ago; it's got a bit under an hour to go and it's blocking out some of the Sun.'
He added: 'It's not like the landscape or the light looks different if you're not looking at the eclipse, but if you're looking through a telescope then you see this really obvious bite.
'One of my colleagues here has a colander and through that, you can see little pinholes of the Sun with the bite out of it as well.
'I think you could guess it's running into the tens of thousands watching with events like this, there's local astronomy groups across the UK who are doing it.'
Imo Bell, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said: 'There's been nothing unexpected, but that's the cool thing, we've known this has been coming for a very long time.
'We have the technology and the understanding of space now to predict these things almost to the second.'
Speaking at 11.13am from Oxford it said he was watching 'with thousands of people' and the eclipse had 'reached a bit more than 30 per cent obscurity of the Sun' at that time.
He added: 'I've heard a lot of people in the UK where they have higher obscurity have bad cloud coverage, though. If you've got good weather, you're pretty lucky.'
The Met Office said earlier on Saturday that southern and eastern areas of the UK would have the best viewing conditions, with cloudier skies in the North and West.
The next partial solar eclipse visible in the UK will be in August 2026, and is expected to reach 90 per cent obscurity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
17 hours ago
- Sky News
The new space race? NASA accelerates plan to put nuclear reactor on the moon
NASA is accelerating plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon, and they claim it could happen by 2030. In a directive - a written or oral instruction issued by the US government - to NASA staff earlier this month, Sean Duffy, US transport secretary and the new interim administrator of the space agency, said it should be ready to launch a 100 kilowatt nuclear reactor in five years. Plans to get a reactor on the lunar surface are not new. The NASA website states the space agency is working on the Fission Surface Power Project to create a system capable of generating at least 40 kilowatts of power - but that is less than half of what Mr Duffy has now proposed. He also stressed the importance of America's space agency deploying the technology before China and Russia. "To properly advance this critical technology, to be able to support a future lunar economy, high power energy generation on Mars, and to strengthen our national security in space, it is imperative the agency move quickly," the directive, which was first reported on by Politico, states. A nuclear reactor on the moon would be considered a key step towards building a permanent base for humans to live on the lunar surface. But Mr Duffy warned that the first country to deploy a reactor "could potentially declare a keep-out zone" which he said could significantly inhibit NASA's Artemis mission - the lunar exploration programme which aims to land astronauts back on the moon in 2027. When quizzed about the plan on 5 August, he told reporters: "We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon. And to have a base on the moon, we need energy." Why use a nuclear reactor? Unlike solar power, which is used on the International Space Station, a small nuclear reactor can operate continuously, Dr Sungwoo Lim, a senior lecturer in space applications, exploration and instrumentation at the University of Surrey told Sky News. This is critical for infrastructure on the moon, which spends two weeks in complete darkness as it slowly orbits the Earth. Nuclear reactors therefore diminish the need for sunlight, and can be used to power life support, communications and other critical science instruments, even in darkness. "In practice, this means astronauts could use a reactor to establish sustainable bases and extend exploration to places where solar energy is impractical," Dr Lim adds, including in the moon's permanently shadowed region, where scientists believe ice water exists. Professor Mike Fitzpatrick, an expert in nuclear technology at Coventry University, adds that the proposal of a 100 kilowatt nuclear reactor, is relatively small compared to most that are built on Earth. To put it in real terms, it takes around three kilowatts to power the kettle in your home. But Prof Fitzpatrick says a smaller reactor could pose as "demonstrator technology", something small and compact that makes it easier to transport it to the moon. "Then you can have a whole array of them," he says. So, what's the catch? While scientists agree that nuclear energy seems like the necessary way to make progress on the moon, Prof Fitzpatrick says questions still remain about safety. "Shipping the fuel to the moon is relatively safe, because at that point it is not particularly toxic, it is the highly reactive fission products that become the issue," he says. "What's going to be the strategy for long-term storage and disposal on the moon after these plants have operated for certain periods of time? The sooner those conversations are had, and you have international consensus, the less likely it is you'll get future friction." 0:55 Dr Lim also questioned Mr Duffy's timescale of 2030, saying meeting the target depends heavily on the space agency's budget. NASA's future funding is currently unknown after Donald Trump's 2026 budget request sought a cut of $6bn (£4.5bn) and the termination of dozens of science programs and missions. Over 2,000 agency employees are also set to voluntarily leave NASA in the coming months under the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" programme. Is this the new space race? Last year, Russia's space agency Roscosmos said it was planning to build a lunar nuclear reactor alongside China's National Space Administration by 2035, in order to power the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The collaboration was never formally announced by China but the joint plan was included in a presentation by Chinese officials in April this year, which outlined the 2028 Chang'e-8 lunar mission which aims to lay the groundwork for the ILRS. "Duffy explicitly described it as a competition," says Dr Lim, adding that the move towards lunar exploration signals a renewed moon or space race among major parties like China, Russia, India and the US to claim strategic lunar territory and technology. However, Rossana Deplano a professor of international space law at the University of Leicester, says there is a lot of misunderstanding around "keep out" or safety zones, which Mr Duffy's directive mentions. "Safety zones are explicitly recognised in the Artemis Accords," she says. "They are a notification and consultation zone to be declared in advance in order to avoid harmful interference. "They must be temporary in nature and do not establish state jurisdiction, e.g. they cannot be enforced."
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists want to send a spacecraft to intercept the mysterious interstellar object racing through our solar system – amid fears it could be an alien probe
A mysterious interstellar object is currently hurtling through our solar system after travelling for billions of years through the vast expanse of space. The object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, was spotted by NASA on July 1 and is only the third visitor from another star detected in our region of space. 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest point to the sun on October 30, at a distance of 130 million miles (210 million km), before disappearing once again. Before it vanishes for good, scientists want to send a spacecraft to intercept the enigmatic interloper. Scientists are exploring the possibility of scrambling spacecraft from all over the solar system to meet with 3I/ATLAS before it leaves the solar system. But with the object travelling at over 37 miles per second (60 km/s), that will not be easy. Researchers hope that by reaching 3I/ATLAS in time, they could learn more about its origins and even answer some big questions about the formation of the galaxy. Some, such as Harvard's Professor Avi Loeb, even believe that this could settle the question of whether the object is really an alien probe. Objects arriving from other solar systems are extremely rare compared to the thousands of known meteors originating from within our own system. Previously, the only other known interstellar objects were 'Oumuamua in 2017 and the comet Borisov in 2019. That makes the opportunity to observe 3I/ATLAS as it whizzes past the sun an extremely exciting moment for scientists all around the world. The object has already been observed by big telescopes such as Gemini North in Hawaii and the Very Large Telescope in Chile. Likewise, plans to take an even closer look using the sensitive instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope are already underway. But to truly understand what 3I/ATLAS is made of, scientists think we would need to get a spacecraft much closer. The problem is that 3I/ATLAS is currently moving too fast and is too far away for an Earth-based launch to reach the object in time. In a recent pre-print paper, researchers from Michigan State University calculated that a craft would need to have left Earth at 15 miles per second (24 km/s) on the day the object was spotted to stand a chance of arriving in time. Instead, researchers propose that space agencies like NASA should consider redirecting craft already in orbit around other planets towards 3I/ATLAS. Professor Loeb suggests that NASA should use the Juno spacecraft, which is currently gathering data from its orbit around Jupiter. Professor Loeb told Daily Mail: '3I/Atlas will pass within 54 million kilometres from Jupiter in mid-March 2026. 'Juno is in orbit around Jupiter and was planned to end its mission in mid-September 2025.' Instead of plunging Juno into Jupiter's atmosphere as planned, Professor Loeb suggests using all the remaining fuel to boost the craft in the direction of 3I/ATLAS, potentially meeting it around March 14 next year. If Juno could make the journey in time, its suite of sophisticated equipment could provide unprecedented levels of data about this interstellar object. Professor Loeb says: 'The instruments on Juno can all be used to probe the nature of 3I/ATLAS from a close distance, far better than any observatories on Earth.' This bold plan has already secured the support of Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna. If Juno has enough fuel, it might be able to intercept 3I/ATLAS (pictured) by mid-May next year in order to gather more data In a letter to Trump's new NASA administrator, Sean Duffy, Ms Luna urges the space agency to consider this option. Ms Luna wrote: 'It is recommended that NASA conduct a study to assess how much fuel is left in Juno's engine, and I support an extension of the Juno mission at least until mid-March 2026 at a cost of about $15M per 6 months from the current expiration date of mid-September 2025.' However, not everyone is convinced that Juno has the power or fuel needed to escape its orbit and reach 3I/ATLAS. Writing on X, Professor Jason Wright, of Pennsylvania State University, said: 'Juno does not have enough fuel to visit 3I/ATLAS. Its main engine is also malfunctioning. 'An extended mission for Juno would be awesome, but a visit to 3I/ATLAS makes no sense.' The European Space Agency (ESA) is reportedly considering using its own Jupiter probe, Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), which is currently on its way to the planet. While JUICE might have more fuel than Juno, ESA is still uncertain whether its course could be diverted to align with 3I/ATLAS. Currently, there are no concrete plans to divert JUICE out of its current orbit. Dr Marco Fenucci, of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Near-Earth Objects Coordination Centre, told Daily Mail: 'ESA at the moment does not have a plan to visit 3I/Atlas.' Likewise, Dr Fenucci adds that 'to my knowledge' there are no spacecraft which could reach the object in time. Another option would be to use one of the spacecraft currently orbiting Mars and approaching the end of their missions, such as Mars Odyssey or the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. According to Atsuhiro Yaginuma and his co-authors from Michigan State University, one of these spacecraft could reach 3I/ATLAS after setting off as late as September. At its closest point to the sun, the object will pass just within the orbit of Mars at around 18.6 million miles (30 million km) from the Red Planet. By boosting a Mars orbiter by 10,800 miles per hour (17,400 km/h), one of these probes could reach 3I/ATLAS before it leaves the solar system. Mr Yaginuma says: 'It would require a lot of fuel and a lot of rapid mobilisation from people here on Earth. 'But getting close to an interstellar object could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.' However, it still isn't clear whether any of the craft currently orbiting Mars have enough fuel to make the trip. If a craft were able to reach 3I/ATLAS in time, it could herald a huge breakthrough for our understanding of the galaxy. Dr Fenucci says: 'There would undoubtedly be an extremely high scientific return for such a mission, at the expense, however, of a complicated mission design and strict time constraints. 'Interstellar objects are our unique chance to get a direct glimpse of the composition of another star system, providing a rare opportunity to study how similar is our solar system to other planetary systems.' By approaching the object, a craft may be able to make a direct analysis of dust and ice surrounding the object and gatether high-resolution images. That data could help astronomers understand how solar systems form, or even how chemicals necessary for life are delivered to habitable worlds. Additionally, amid speculation that 3I/ATLAS may be alien in origin, a visit from one of our own probes could help settle this debate. Although the scientific consensus is that 3I/ATLAS is a comet, Professor Loeb maintains that it could be an artificial craft. Professor Loeb says that objects of this size should only arrive in the solar system once every 10,000 years. This is combined with its suspicious path which takes 3I/ATLAS straight through the heart of the solar system. Given the objects rarity, Professor Loeb says that there is only a 0.005 per cent chance of the 3I/ATLAS arriving naturally. However, these concerns will likely be addressed by future observations as 3I/ATLAS gets closer to the sun, which should reveal more cometary activity if it is a natural object. Our first interstellar visitor sailed past Earth at at 97,200mph in 2017, but what exactly was Oumuamua? A cigar-shaped object named 'Oumuamua sailed past Earth at 97,200mph (156,428km/h) in October. It was first spotted by a telescope in Hawaii on 19 October, and was observed 34 separate times in the following week. It is named after the Hawaiian term for 'scout' or 'messenger' and passed the Earth at about 85 times the distance to the moon. It was the first interstellar object seen in the solar system, and it baffled astronomers. Initially, it was thought the object could be a comet. However, it displays none of the classic behavior expected of comets, such as a dusty, water-ice particle tail. The asteroid is up to one-quarter mile (400 meters) long and highly-elongated - perhaps 10 times as long as it is wide. That aspect ratio is greater than that of any asteroid or asteroid observed in our solar system to date. But the asteroid's slightly red hue — specifically pale pink — and varying brightness are remarkably similar to objects in our own solar system. Around the size of the Gherkin skyscraper in London, some astronomers were convinced it was piloted by aliens due to the vast distance the object traveled without being destroyed – and the closeness of its journey past the Earth. Alien hunters at SETI – the Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence based at Berkeley University, California said there was a possibility the rock was 'an alien artefact'. But scientists from Queen's University Belfast took a good look at the object and said it appears to be an asteroid, or 'planetesimal' as originally thought. Researchers believe the cigar-shaped asteroid had a 'violent past', after looking at the light bouncing off its surface.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Training day in Orion spacecraft for Artemis II crew
The Artemis II astronauts are preparing for their trip around the Moon which is due in around six months time. The crew donned their space suits and got on board the Orion spacecraft for specialist training. The astronauts were connected up to the spacecraft and its control systems, allowing them to prepare for launch day and do sims of situations they might find themselves in during the mission. These tests help the crew get used to the kit they'll be using, but also to check all the equipment and plans so final adjustments can be made ahead of launch if Sean Duffy said: "Every milestone in the Artemis campaign brings us closer to landing Americans back on the Moon and pushing onward to Mars." What do the Artemis II suits look like? Teams tested out different situations so the crew could get practice dealing with any challenges that could arise during the mission. The astronauts also had the chance to check out the sleeping arrangements and the hygiene bay as well as learn how to review air quality levels. It means they'll be prepared to deal with any challenges they may face. The training days were also a chance to try on their bright orange space suits called the Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS). It's worn inside the Orion spacecraft on launch day, in emergency situations, in high-risk parts of the missions near the Moon and on their return to Earth. It's fitted specifically to each astronaut and has lots of tech to help protect the not the only spacesuit they'll have. Like many missions they'll also have another to wear outside the spacecraft during space walks and they work like a personal spaceship. Everything you need to know about the Artemis II mission Artemis is Nasa's first Moon mission in more than 50 years and is a three-part series of increasingly complex missions aimed at putting a man and a woman on the Moon. The Artemis I mission didn't have any astronauts on board (although Shaun the sheep went) but was designed to fully test the Moon mission kit. It was successfully sent in orbit around the Moon in November II takes it a step further with a crew on board, and will circle around the Moon before returning home while Artemis III plans to land Nasa astronauts on the Moon's surface. The original plan was to have people walking on the Moon by the end of 2025, but the mission has been delayed multiple times. Nasa ended up moving the mission back a year to be able to fix a safety issue with its heat shield. American astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen have been selected for the Artemis II Wiseman will be the mission's commander. He's a US Navy pilot who has also previously served as the head of Nasa's astronaut office. He's flown one previous mission to the International Space Station (ISS) back in astronaut Christina Koch is the only woman on the mission. She's an electrical engineer with a pretty impressive track record, having spent more time in space than any other 2019 she made the first all-female spacewalk along with fellow astronaut Jessica Navy test pilot Victor Glover is the third member of the Artemis II team. He joined Nasa in 2013 and made his first spaceflight in 2020. He was the first African American to stay on the space station for an extended period of six Hanson is the chosen Canadian astronaut on the team. He was a fighter pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the Canadian Space Agency and he's yet to travel to space.
