Britain's Deepest Eclipse Since 1999 Wows Stadium Crowds
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- Wednesday's partial solar eclipse obscured more than 90% of the Sun over British skies, leaving only a slim crescent visible and marking the fullest eclipse seen from Britain since the total eclipse of 1999.
- Cricket fans at Edgbaston watching Birmingham Phoenix face MI London in The Hundred observed the eclipse from the stands, with many spectators wearing special protective glasses.
- Floodlights at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham were switched on in anticipation of the unusual darkness, though clouds already obscured the peak when it arrived at around 7.15pm.
- Swedish athletes Erika Warff and Tilde Bjerager joined small groups outside Alexander Stadium to watch the phenomenon, some equipped with paper glasses and others filming through phone cameras.
- Fans attending the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg between Aston Villa and European champions Paris St-Germain also gazed skyward, with the eclipse taking place roughly half an hour before kick-off.
Why it matters: The deepest solar eclipse over Britain since 1999 — blocking more than 90% of the Sun — coincided with high-profile European sporting events, giving crowds at three venues a rare celestial backdrop. For spectators watching The Hundred, the European Athletics Championships and the UEFA Super Cup, the eclipse functioned as an unplanned cosmic interval before their contests, with some matches proceeding under floodlights and others paused for stargazing.
Ask SkimNews
