DHAKA: Millions of people in the UK and northern Europe have glimpsed the best solar eclipse in years.

A great swathe of the Earth's surface was plunged into darkness as the Moon came between us and the Sun.

From an aeroplane above the Faroe Islands, a BBC camera crew captured startling footage of the event reaching totality at 09:41 GMT.

The deep shadow formed first in the North Atlantic and then swept up into the Arctic, ending at the North Pole.
Brilliant beads

People keen to catch a glimpse of the rare phenomenon were advised not to look directly at it.

Looking directly at the Sun can cause serious harm, and skywatchers were directed to the multiple ways to catch an eclipse safely and in comfort.

Pic: Solar

In all parts of the UK, the eclipse reached at least 83%, with the darkness peaking at about 09:35 GMT. The precise timing and degree of the eclipse varied with location.

For the Shetland Islands, the eclipse was at its height at 09:43 GMT and was very near total, with 97% of the Sun's disc obscured by the Moon.

For those caught under cloudy skies, the internet was a good option to see the eclipse.

Scientific agencies had planes and even satellites gathering video to relay on the web and on television.

In the UK, the weather turned out to be slightly better than anticipated, with clouds breaking in many places at just the right time. London and the South East, on the other hand, just saw their grey day get slightly gloomier.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1948 HRS, MAR 20, 2015

** Solar eclipse creeps across Earth