Chris Lansdown, Lauren Turner, Kerry Alexandra, Jennifer Green and Michael Orwell
All times stated are UK
Post update
That just about wraps up our coverage of the solar eclipse. We hope you've enjoyed following events as the the skies went dark - and thank you for all your contributions.
Make sure you join us for the next eclipse!
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Barry Guard in France emails: As I am in the South of France there was not as much here but it did go darker. I watched it on the BBC website and it brought me to tears, it was so moving! Absolutely wonderful!!
Post update
The family of a young astronomy fanatic gave about 28,000 pairs of special protective eclipse glasses to local schoolchildren in memory of their son, who died at the age of 10 in 2009. You can read their story here.
Get in touch
George Holliday, Bridge of Allen, sent us this lovely image
George HollidayCopyright: George Holliday
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Grace and Bill in Tavistock, Devon emailed: Fantastic coverage of the eclipse. Thank you to the whole team - brilliant job!!!!!
Post update
AFP/gettyCopyright: AFP/getty
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon went to the Glasgow Science Centre to see the eclipse.
Get in touch
Ben Rymer in East Yorkshire sent us this picture of a very red sky taken during Friday's eclipse.
Ben RymerCopyright: Ben Rymer
Post update
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Watching through protective glasses and through a window - this boy viewing the partial eclipse from the grounds of Belfast Zoo had the right idea about safety!
Post update
APCopyright: AP
A spot of sunlight breaks through the clouds and shines on a vessel during the eclipse as seen in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands.
Was the oldest eclipse on record in Syria?
A Babylonian clay tablet (similar to the one shown below) is thought to be the earliest record of a total solar eclipse.
The tablet was uncovered in the ancient city of Ugarit - located in modern day Syria - and has two possible dates: 3 May 1375 BC or 5 March 1223 BC, the latter being favoured by most recent publications.
NASACopyright: NASA
Post update
EPACopyright: EPA
The partial solar eclipse was projected on to a flat surface through a telescope at the Insulaner Observatory in Berlin, Germany.
Get in touch
Adil Amin sent us his picture of the eclipse behind a tree in Royston, Hertfordshire.
Adil AminCopyright: Adil Amin
Post update
Ali Boyle from the Science Museum in London has collated some interesting eclipse-related items from the museum's collection - you can see it on Storify here.
Post update
While some people had a spectacular view of the eclipse, others weren't quite so lucky. Hundreds had gathered at Regent's Park, London, with their protective glasses and telescopes ready - but cloudy conditions meant they were redundant.
Student doctor Uzair Adam, 23, from Clapham, south London, said: "It's been slightly anti-climactic. I remember the last one when I was a little kid.
"I remember the sky going dark and I thought: 'Wow, this is a moment to remember in history'.
"I thought that is what it's going to be today."
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Steve Braithwaite in Perth in Scotland sent us a picture of the reading from his solar panels during the eclipse.
Steve Braithwaite Copyright: Steve Braithwaite
The end of solar eclipses?
It's pure coincidence that we live in an age where Moon and Sun appear to be the same size from Earth; so the Moon is able to block out the Sun.
But the Moon is on the move. It's now around 18 times further away from us than when it was formed 4.5 billion years ago.
As the Moon moves away from us it will eventually be too far to completely block out the Sun. So enjoy the view while it lasts...
Special solar filter glasses were one of the best ways to see the eclipse - it's what this trio wore at Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
Post update
An astronomy expert has tried to explain why the eclipse has been so special.
Dr Daniel Brown of Nottingham Trent University said: "The event illustrates why astronomy is the oldest science of them all, reaching back many millennia.
"It makes the cosmos and the universe come alive and shows how human emotions are influenced by skyscape: the sky together with the land and everything around us."
Post update
EPACopyright: EPA
Amateur astronomer Hans-Ulrich and his son Tillmann used a home-made pinhole camera to see the eclipse in Hanover, Germany,
Post update
Alison Hendry in Perth and Kinross in Scotland sent us this image
Alison HendryCopyright: Alison Hendry
Next total eclipse
On 21 August 2017, a total eclipse of the Sun will begin in the northern Pacific and cross the US from west to east.
Nasa has created a map showing the predicted path of the 2017 total eclipse through the US. Time to get excited.
NASACopyright: NASA
A partial eclipse will also be visible over most of North America.
Robin Clegg in Birmingham sent us this picture of his view of the eclipse
Robin CleggCopyright: Robin Clegg
Post update
AFP/GettyCopyright: AFP/Getty
Well, that's a novel way to view the eclipse! The advice was not to view the sun directly - but instead of special glasses, this man in Pristina, Kosovo, decided to use a dental X-ray.
Is eclipse-chasing addictive?
Eclipse-chasing psychologist Dr Kate Russo seems to think so.
On her website Dr Russo describes how it feels to chase the Moon's shadow: "Once you have seen a total eclipse, it seems to ignite a fire that becomes a powerful driving force. Eclipse chasing is not just a hobby - eclipse chasing is a way of life."
Wales was one of the best areas in the UK to see the eclipse from. Check out some of the best images of the day here.
History repeating: Every 6,585.3 days
Nearly identical eclipses (total, annual, or partial) reoccur after 18 years, 11 days and 8 hours, or every 6,585.3 days. This is called the Saros cycle. It was first known as a period when lunar eclipses seem to repeat themselves, but the cycle is applicable to solar eclipses as well.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Paddy Kenny emails: I had an amazing time watching the eclipse and numerous efforts to create a safe eclipse viewer, couldn't get them to work just as I give up I threw a piece of card on the worktop in my kitchen only to realize that conveniently the holes in my blind slats for the cords cast an amazing image of the eclipse unconventional but worked amazingly well experienced the eclipse in stunning clarity!
Post update
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
The partial eclipse can just about be seen over Stonehenge, Wiltshire, in this image.
Other eclipses in 2015
There are at least four eclipses every year - two solar and two lunar. Although up to seven can occur in one given year.
The next eclipse of 2015 is a lunar eclipse on 4 April. The next solar eclipse will be a partial one on 3 September. The final eclipse of this year is a lunar eclipse on 28 September.
The partial solar eclipse forming earlier near the cross of the Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Post update
@flightradar24 tweeted: "Pilots on some regular scheduled flights gave the passengers a special #SolarEclipse ride. Nice initiative!"
Post update
What did it feel like to see the eclipse? Here's a nice description from Ralph Wilkins, of the London-based Baker Street Irregular Astronomers, who watched events unfold outside a school in Hambrook, South Gloucestershire.
He said: "The sky started clearing just after first contact and we were able to watch the moon glide in front of the sun.
"It was a unique experience - eerie is the right word for it. The shadows started to sharpen and everything began to develop this yellowish hue.
"Whenever there's a solar eclipse in the UK you tend to get cloud, so to be treated to clear skies was really wonderful. It really was beautiful. We were all thrilled."
Post update
Full daylight returns to Svalbard, Norway, about one hour after totality.
Post update
AFP/GettyCopyright: AFP/Getty
A collage of eclipse images from Gaiberg near Heidelberg, south-western Germany, as the Moon covered the Sun.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Russell Hawker in Winchester emails: Not all parts of the UK are enjoying a view of the solar eclipse. We are having to use our imagination and picture what the eclipse would look like had the sky been clear.
Are there eclipses on other planets?
In order to have a solar eclipse a planet needs to have a moon. So planets like Venus and Mercury, with no moon, will never experience one.
Eclipses on other planets vary depending on the moon and planet combination. Mars' moons are quite small, so only create partial eclipses.
All of the giant planets in our Solar System - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - have substantial moons and can experience eclipses. Eclipses are particularly common on Jupiter, since its moons orbit in the same plane with the Sun.
This remarkable image shows the shadows cast on Jupiter by two of its moons.
NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage TeamCopyright: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team
[Image: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)]
Post update
EPACopyright: EPA
Some of the most dramatic images of the eclipse have come from Svalbard, in Norway, which experienced totality at around 10:12 GMT.
Post update
In the UK, the clearest views of the partial eclipse were from Wales, parts of the West Country, the Midlands and eastern Scotland around Edinburgh.
Elsewhere, it was experienced as an abnormal level of darkness - and we've also had reports of birds falling silent and flocking to trees, confused by the fading light.
Post update
As well as the solar eclipse, today is marked by a super moon and a spring equinox. Watch the BBC Weather video here to explain what the equinox means.
Post update
Cold and "spooky" - but worth it. That's what spectators in Newlyn told BBC reporter Jonathan Maguire in Newlyn on the BBC News Channel.
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
That speck at the top of the picture is actually the eclipse, as seen from a plane over the Faroe Islands, one of the places to experience totality.
Post update
David Cook sent us his image of a plane flying across the eclipse in Blackburn, Lancashire.
David CookCopyright: David Cook
Post update
APCopyright: AP
Even animals got in on the act. The owner of this dog in Regent's Park, London, decided to play it safe during the eclipse by giving it protective glasses.
A trio of cosmic coincidences
In addition to the moon being a Supermoon and eclipsing the Sun, today also happens to be the March equinox (or spring equinox as it is known in the northern hemisphere).
Today, the Earth's axis will be perpendicular to the Sun's rays , which only happens twice a year, at the two equinoxes.
On the equinox, night and day are nearly exactly the same length all over the world.
The next total solar eclipse at the March equinox will happen in 2034.
Post update
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Pupils from Saint Ursula's Covent Secondary School in Greenwich, south London, wore protective glasses to try to see the eclipse from the Royal Observatory.
Post update
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Here's the eclipse over the Madeira Islands in Portugal, peeking out through the clouds.
Post update
This BBC picture gallery has images from the morning as a solar eclipse was seen across Europe, as well as parts of Asia and Africa.
Post update
After totality, full daylight returns to the Faroe Islands after about one hour.
Post update
PACopyright: PA
It may look like the moon, but this is the Sun during the partial eclipse. This picture was taken from Calton Hill, Edinburgh.
Weather effects
Do solar eclipses affect our weather? Prof Richard Harrison, MBE, Head of Space Science at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory writes:
"An eclipse is a transient event in which the Moon's shadow crosses the Earth's surface so, in the region of totality, the Sun's heat is blocked for a short time. As you would expect, that does cause short-term impacts on weather. For example, it causes a drop in temperature that observers within the shadow can feel, and it has an influence on local wind patterns as temperature gradients are set up."
Post update
EPACopyright: EPA
Europe wasn't the only place to experience the eclipse. This is what it looked like from Rabat, Morocco.
Post update
Clouds may have obscured the view of the eclipse in many places in the UK, but they later parted at Stonehenge and on the Isle of Lewis, allowing those gathering at the standing stones in each location to witness the phenomenon.
Post update
Cameron BartonCopyright: Cameron Barton
This photo comes from Cameron Barton, Basel, Switzerland.
Lunar eclipse – what’s the difference?
Lunar eclipses are completely different to solar eclipses. Rather than the Moon coming between the Sun and the Earth, the Earth drifts between the Moon and the Sun. This stops the Sun's rays reaching the Moon. The Moon is still visible during a lunar eclipse but appears red or orange.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Post update
Brian PowellCopyright: Brian Powell
This picture of students at Nailsea School, Bristol watching the eclipse was sent by Brian Powell.
Post update
@BBCweather tweeted: "Over 200 schools have taken readings for the #eclipse2015 weather experiment. Hope to have some results later."
Post update
APCopyright: AP
Here's an atmospheric image of people in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, gathering on a hill to watch the total eclipse a little earlier this morning.
Post update
Linda LangdonCopyright: Linda Langdon
Linda Langdon from Cornwall sent us this photo of the view from south west England
Four different types of solar eclipse
The type of solar eclipse we see depends on how far away the Moon is as it travels across the Sun and whether it lines up directly between the Sun and the Earth.
If the Moon lines up with the Sun and the Earth and is orbiting close to our planet, a total eclipse will occur. If it's orbiting far from the Earth, we'll see an annular eclipse instead.
When the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, but doesn't block out all the light, it causes a partial eclipse - like the one some of us saw in the UK today.
BBC Stargazing Live FlickrCopyright: BBC Stargazing Live Flickr
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
Here's the Sun emerging after the total eclipse in Svalbard.
Totality in Svalbard
BBCCopyright: BBC
The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard has now experienced totality as shown in this image.
Post update
Rebecca BeeversCopyright: Rebecca Beevers
Rebecca Beevers from Rugby sent us this stunning image.
The eclipse from space
Met office/EumetsatCopyright: Met office/Eumetsat
@BBCWeather tweets: "You can see the shadow cast by #Eclipse2015 on these images from space. Much darker over UK at 9.30am."
WATCH LIVE: Svalbard totality
See the total eclipse live now by clicking the "Live coverage" tab above.
Post update
Svalbard, Norway, is now experiencing totality. The eclipse will soon be zipping towards the North Pole where the Moon's shadow will lift off of the Earth after a journey of 3,635 miles (5,850 km) over 4 hours and 9 minutes.
Post update
It's been called the first great astronomical event of the century.
The last solar eclipse of such significance occurred on 11 August 1999. It was a total eclipse with 100% of the sun covered when seen from Cornwall.
The next so-called "deep" partial eclipse will be visible in the UK on 12 August 2026, with the next total eclipse not happening until September 2090.
Post update
The last major eclipse was back in 1999 which is why everyone has been so keen to catch a glimpse of today's event. Do let us know what you saw by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
A royal view
AFP/GettyCopyright: AFP/Getty
You're looking the wrong way! Here are King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands using protective glasses to watch the solar eclipse.
Post update
Sunspots - eruptions on the Sun's surface - and solar flares are some of the features that could be seen in Cornwall as the eclipse took hold, the BBC News channel is told.
Tweet us
@BBC_HaveYourSay
Not everyone has been able to see the eclipse @JoaoPereira43 tweeted "#eclipse too cloudy to see the eclipse in Southend :("
Post update
PACopyright: PA
Stunning pictures of the eclipse are coming out. Here's the Sun behind one of the Liver Birds on Liverpool's Royal Liver building.
Post update
So, how was it for you? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk to tell us your experience of seeing the eclipse. Please don't look at the sun directly if you're taking any images though!
Post update
@BBCWeather tweets: "We couldn't see the #Eclipse2015 in London but the team went outside anyway!"
Post update
EPACopyright: EPA
This boy in Turin, Italy, is trying to catch a glimpse of the eclipse - let's hope those are protective glasses he's got on!
Three discoveries we owe to solar eclipses
Sun's atmosphere: The solar corona is a million times less bright than the surface of the Sun. So this is the only time it can be seen without using special equipment to artificially block out the other sunlight. In fact, without eclipses, it's likely that the corona would have remained undiscovered until recent decades.
Helium: The second most abundant element known to humans was discovered during the total solar eclipse of August 16, 1868. It is named after the Greek word for the Sun - Helios.
Proving Einstein's theory: British astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington tested Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity during a total solar eclipse in 1919. By taking pictures of stars near the Sun he was able to show that gravity can bend light.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Post update
Chrissie Day she us her picture of people gathering to watch the eclipse in Truro in Cornwall this morning.
Chrissie DayCopyright: Chrissie Day
Post update
The BBC's Chris Hollins, watching the total eclipse on the Faroe Islands, said of the moment of the eclipse: "It's as if someone's pulled the light and life out of the place."
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
Some amazing detail can be seen in this picture of the total eclipse from the Faroe Islands.
Total eclipse heads for Svalbard
The only two land masses to experience a total eclipse today are the Faroe Isles 200 miles (321km) north of Scotland, and Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
Tweet us
@BBC_HaveYourSay
@KnowledgeInnit has tweeted @BBC_HaveYoursSay: #eclipse - just very gloomy here in Ealing. Too cloudy to see anything related to the moon getting in the way of the sun.
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
These schoolchildren from Leicester are intrigued by the eclipse.
"The sun changes colour and goes into a crescent shape," one commented.
Eclipse superstitions
In parts of India, people fast during a solar eclipse due to the belief that food cooked during an eclipse will be poisonous. Scientists have debunked this claim.
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
The BBC's John Maguire has tweeted another image of that solar grin, as seen through a screen.
Post update
BBC presenter Liz Bonnin watched the total eclipse over the Faroe Islands. She said: "I never really thought it was going to be this moving."
Total eclipse
BBCCopyright: BBC
What an amazing image - here's the total eclipse in the Faroe Islands.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Steve Hann, Faversham, Kent emails: I can't understand the panic over the supposed energy crisis the eclipse is going to cause. Isn't the country plunged into darkness every night? I'm sure if we can survive an 11 hour blackout at night, 2 minutes should be a doddle. Wont be any worse than everyone putting their kettles on after Eastenders I would suspect!
Post update
AFP/GettyCopyright: AFP/Getty
It's cloudy in many parts of the UK and Europe, as you can see here with this picture taken at an observatory in Kiel, northern Germany.
Post update
Rob Johnson sent us this picture form Aberystwyth in Wales
Rob JohnsonCopyright: Rob Johnson
Post update
Matthias B in Iceland sent us this picture of his view of the eclipse
Matthias BCopyright: Matthias B
Post update
See the total eclipse in Faroe Islands by clicking on the "Live Coverage" tab above. Totality will last two minutes and 47 seconds.
Our ability to see eclipses like this is down to pure luck. The Sun is around 400 times bigger than the Moon - but it also happens to be about 400 times further away. This makes them appear roughly the same size when viewed from Earth, so the Moon is able to block out all of the Sun's disc, leaving the Sun's radiant corona shining behind it like a crown.
The eclipse around the world
BBCCopyright: BBC
This image shows where in the world the eclipse is visible. Large areas of Europe as well as Asia and Africa can see the phenomenon.
Svalbard has experienced first contact
Svalbard, the archipelago north of Norway, saw "first contact" at 09:11 GMT and awaits totality at 10:10 GMT
Post update
The Isle of Lewis, off the north coast of Scotland, sees a maximum eclipse. 98% of the Sun is covered by the Moon, creating a sky that resembles twilight.
Post update
The eclipse is one of the hot topics on Twitter. The hashtag #Eclipse2015 is trending worldwide, as is Bonnie Tyler - the Welsh singer who sang 1983 power ballad Total Eclipse Of The Heart.
Post update
There's a maximum eclipse at Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire. 89% of the Sun is covered by the Moon.
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
BBC reporter John Maguire says the temperature in Newlyn, Cornwall, has dropped by three degrees or so. He said: "It's quite spooky. It's an eerie feeling."
Supermoon
The Moon doesn't orbit the Earth in a perfect circle, so its distance from us varies. "Supermoons" occur when the Moon makes its closest pass in its orbit around Earth. Moon appears bigger than normal as a result. Last night, our Moon entered this phase, which is why it's close enough to Earth to completely block some light.
BBCCopyright: BBC
If the Moon was further away as it passed in front of the Sun, it would appear smaller and only block out the middle part of the Sun. Anyone standing beneath it would look up and see a 'ring of fire' around the Moon - an "annular" eclipse.
John McConnellCopyright: John McConnell
[Photo by John McConnell, BBC Sky at Night and Stargazing Live Flickr]
Post update
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Here's how things are looking in Berlin this morning.
Post update
The eclipse has reached its maximum over Cornwall. People in the south of the UK see 83% of the Sun's disc covered by the Moon.
The Moon is speeding across the Sun at around 1,400mph (2,253km/h) - that's faster than a Concorde jet.
Watch by clicking the "live coverage" tab above.
Faroes reach 49% eclipse
As the eclipse races north-west, the Faroe Islands experience 49% eclipse; but at 09:41 GMT they will reach the magical 100% totality.
Post update
We'd love to see your pictures but remember not to look at the Sun directly. Remember you can also read our main news story here as well as watch the BBC News channel for the latest live images.
Sign of peace?
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
A dove is pictured in front of the eclipse in Munich, Germany. Central Europe is expected to get a 75% eclipse this morning.
Post update
Dr Anne Lawrence from the University of Reading has been looking at what our ancestors thought of solar eclipses. Apparently some thought a celestial dragon caused them by swallowing the sun or the moon.
Post update
Andy Burns from the Wiltshire Astronomical Society is watching events at the Avebury World Heritage site at Silbury Hill. He's seen eight eclipses in the past and describes them as "emotional experiences".
He said: "It doesn't matter that I've been around for a good number of years but you still remember those eclipses and they really are tearjerkers.
"The emotions that they can extract - all around you can see whole crowds of people with odd tears down their face - fantastic."
Post update
@BBCStargazing tweets: "We predicted the #eclipse would happen 100s of yrs ago, but didn't know if we could see it until now! Real science. #Weather #StargazingLive."
Post update
PACopyright: PA
Students Greg Robertson, 19, and Sam Firminger, 20, have a suitably celebratory drink ready as they wait for the eclipse at Clifton Observatory, Bristol. The eclipse should only be viewed using special eclipse glasses like the ones on the right.
Eclipse mystery
For more than a century scientists have debated the existence of "eclipse wind". Over the years people have reported feeling a change in wind speed and direction during an eclipse. Some scientists think eclipse wind is imagined, but others think it is caused by the cold outflow of air from the umbral shadow (the region that's totally obscured by the Sun).
To try to solve the mystery once and for all, meteorologists at the University of Reading have joined with BBC Learning to ask UK schools to take part in a national eclipse weather experiment this morning. They hope this data could finally settle the debate.
NOW: Watch eclipse live
Use the "live coverage" tab above to watch BBC One's Stargazing Live: Eclipse special (09:00 - 10:00)
Post update
Some budding BBC School Reporters asked experts about the solar eclipse. Read what they found out here.
Post update
The Royal Astronomical Society has a really detailed guide to everything you need to know about the eclipse. Take a look at their leaflet here.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Dr Charlotte Hawkins in Devon emails: Sun is peeking out from behind the cloud layer in Ottery St Mary, Devon right now. We may be lucky and actually see the eclipse!
Once every 375 years
Total eclipses occur, on average, every 18 months somewhere on our planet. However you'd have to wait around 375 years for one to happen again in the same exact place.
Today's eclipse will mark the last total solar eclipse in Europe for over a decade. The next one will appear on 12 August 2026.
Tweet us
@BBC_HaveYourSay
Where are you gathering to watch the #eclipse? Send us your pictures now. Remember not to look directly at the sun http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zcytpv4
Post update
PACopyright: PA
Here's the eclipse beginning over the Eden Project near St Austell in Cornwall. A special filter has been applied to the camera.
Post update
Liz Bonnin is taking a flight over the Faroe Islands for the BBC's Stargazing Live. She's written a blog about her preparations for the experience.
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
Here's the scene at Stonehenge, where some will be celebrating the spring equinox as well as the solar eclipse, as captured by the BBC's Duncan Kennedy.
Wild behaviour
Total solar eclipses last up to seven minutes and 30 seconds, so it's difficult to study specific effects on animals. But there have been plenty of casual observations of behavioural changes as they're plunged into darkness and the temperature drops. Flowers have closed for night, birds have gone in to roost, insects have stop flying and nocturnal animals, like bats and owls have become active.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Chrissie Day in Harwood emails: Way up in the North Peninnes here at 1,400 feet, it already feels and sounds different, it's very quiet. The birds are quieter and even the new born lambs are quiet for this hour of the day.
Post update
So where are the best places to see the eclipse, from a weather perspective? Unfortunately it looks like there will be cloud over much of the UK. BBC Weather presenter Alex Deakin has the latest information.
"It's a really messy scene with bits of cloud here and there. Wales, Lincolnshire and the East Midlands are largely clear and east Scotland is still clear too.
"Edinburgh is a good place to get a view at the moment. There's very little chance of seeing it in London and it's hit and miss elsewhere."
Post update
APCopyright: AP
Special protective glasses like these ones, being worn by a boy in Berlin, Germany, need to be used to see the eclipse - you can risk serious damage to your eyes otherwise.
Post update
How are you planning to watch the eclipse? Are you having an eclipse party? Or have you travelled far afield to get the best view? Let us know!
You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experience. Please include a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.
Post update
APCopyright: AP
These enthusiasts are ready and waiting for a total eclipse in Torshavn, the capital city of the Faroe Islands.
What are scientists hoping to learn?
Dr Lucie Green, solar scientist at Mullard Space Science Laboratory, UCL says:
'Scientists will be investigating why the Sun's atmosphere is so hot. The energy source is known to come from the magnetic field in the atmosphere, but the exact details are still being unravelled.'
Dr Huw Morgan, physicist at Aberystwyth University, says:
'We will have many sets of custom-built telescopes all focused on the eclipse, all collecting light at different wavelengths - giving additional information on conditions in the mysterious solar corona.'
Prof Richard Harrison, MBE, Head of Space Science at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory says:
'Space-based instruments provide wonderful views of the Sun, and we are learning much about how our star works and how it influences us. But there is still much you can do from the ground… during an eclipse you can use large instruments in a way that you cannot from space.'
Post update
A reminder - as if you need it - not to take a selfie with the eclipse. You can seriously damage the back of your eyes if you look at the sun directly through your smartphone.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
You You Xue in Leicester emails: I've just travelled from Canterbury to Leicester to avoid the clouds and catch the eclipse. I'll be attempting to photograph the eclipse from a park near the space centre.
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
And here it is! The first contact has been made in parts of the UK, as this image taken with a special camera in Newlyn, Cornwall, shows.
Post update
How much of the eclipse is likely to be visible from where you are? This map should help:
BBCCopyright: BBC
Post update
So how can you see the eclipse safely? BBC iWonder has everything you need to know here.
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
One of the first to see the eclipse, all being well, should be BBC reporter John Maguire who is in Newlyn, Cornwall. He tweets: "I know I know there's cloud - but the sun is brightening - the camera filters are on!!"
Post update
A partial eclipse has begun in the south of the UK. People in Cornwall are "first contact" - this is the very first moment the Moon begins to pass in front of the Sun.
‘Unforgettable sight’
Is it worth stopping to watch a solar eclipse, even if it's not total? We ask Kevin Kilburn from the Manchester Astronomical Society:
'Any eclipse is worth seeing and a 90% partial will be an unforgettable sight.
'I'm very much looking forward to this eclipse, the longest in the UK since 1999. Nearly a generation has passed since then and it's a timely reminder that eclipses have been important events in our history.'
BBC correspondent Ben Ando tweets: "In my practical and stylish eclipse goggles we are at Leicester where it's clear and currently cloud free!!"
Global views of the eclipse
BBCCopyright: BBC
While relatively few people are lucky enough to get the chance of seeing a total eclipse, a partial eclipse will be visible in many countries today, as this image shows.
Eclipse highlights
Solar scientist Dr Lucie Green emails:
'If you are able to see a total eclipse look for the shapes in the pearly glow of the corona, these are being created by the Sun's magnetic field. If you are watching a partial eclipse watch how the shape and size of the crescent Sun change over time.'
Watch the total eclipse at 09:00 using the "live coverage" tab above.
BBC Stargazing Flickr Copyright: BBC Stargazing Flickr
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
John Dinning in Leeds emails: Working away in Leeds today, I have my camera equipment ready, although it's half cloudy now but there's still time for clear skies... I have a good position for the event.
Never look at the Sun directly
The Sun's rays are so intense you can feel their warmth from 150m km away. So looking at the Sun directly, even for a few seconds, can seriously damage your eyes. It allows ultraviolet (UV) light to flood in and burn the light-sensitive cells - causing blurry vision and blind spots.
Watching an eclipse with normal sunglasses provides virtually no protection. But there are cheap and easy ways you can see an eclipse safely - such as making a pinhole viewer, building a projector using binoculars or wearing special eclipse glasses.
BBC science correspondent Pallab Ghosh is having slightly better luck, weather-wise.
He tweets: "Breaks in the clouds here @Jodrellbank to see #Eclipse2015."
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
We've got BBC correspondents out across the UK keeping their fingers crossed for a good view of the eclipse.
Carol Kirkwood is on the Isle of Lewis where it is currently looking a tad cloudy and rainy. She tells BBC Breakfast she might need windscreen wipers on her special eclipse-viewing glasses, if things don't improve.
Post update
But what everyone wants to know is: What will the weather be like? BBC Weather presenter Alex Deakin has the answers.
"There will be a lot of cloud across the UK at 9.30 [GMT] but Wales, south west England the Midlands and Lincolnshire are going to have the clearest weather. North east England and eastern Scotland should have some breaks in the cloud too.
"Elsewhere, it's looking unlikely - but there could be some small breaks. The cloudiest areas will be East Anglia, south east England, Northern Ireland and western Scotland."
Bristol and Cardiff are the major cities set to get the best show.
Ancient omens
Astronomers understood what caused solar eclipses by about 20 BC. Before then, different civilisations came up with various stories to explain the Sun's disappearance:
Consumed: The Vikings blamed wolves for chasing and eating the Sun. In Vietnam it was devoured by a giant frog. In ancient China, a dragon was responsible.
Theft: Korean folklore tells of fire dogs that try to steal the Sun. The mythical beasts always fail to capture it, but they'd leave their bite marks in the Sun's disc during the eclipse.
Fight: Accordingly to the Batammaliba people of Western Africa, a solar eclipse was the result of a fight between the Sun and the Moon.
Post update
APCopyright: AP
Shops in the Faroe Islands are certainly set for the event. Some tour operators have organised special trips to the islands.
Rosemary Sloggett, managing director of The Independent Traveller, which is taking 133 eclipse-watchers there, said: "A lot of people travelling with us are experiencing their eighth, ninth or 10th eclipse. I think once you've seen one total eclipse it's something that gets under your skin."
BBC Weather presenter Alex Deakin doesn't have great news for them however - as rain is currently forecast.
Post update
While the UK is set to experience a partial eclipse, other parts of Europe are getting an even better show. Torshavn, the capital city of the Faroe Islands is getting totality for a full two minutes, starting just before 09:41 GMT.
In Svalbard, even further north, the town of Longyearbyen will witness two-and-a-half minutes of totality, starting shortly after 10:10 GMT.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
James Yateman in Liverpool emails: I am a Physics student at the University of Liverpool, and the Physics building is opening early to allow students and staff to watch the eclipse on the roof, with a spot of breakfast and solar viewers. There's expected to be a fair turnout.
Total eclipse: Watch online
We'll bring you uninterrupted footage of the total eclipse from a BBC Stargazing Live aircraft in the Faroe Islands.
Watch from 09:00 using the "Live Coverage" tab above.
Public Health England has some useful advice here as well. The head of its optical radiation group, John O'Hagan, said: "An eclipse is an amazing spectacle and one which we expect people all over the UK to enjoy.
"But it's important to remember that this amazing sight, if viewed incorrectly, could pose a risk to your eyesight. Even if it's cloudy there's a risk of eye damage.
"Sunglasses won't give enough protection. Although they may reduce the sun's glare, they allow you to look for longer, allowing more sunlight into the eye."
What’s happening in space?
Dr Edward Bloomer, Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich emails:
'Quite what you'll observe depends on where you are, but in Britain we'll see a partial solar eclipse. From our point of view, the Moon will move in front of the Sun and although it won't cover the Sun entirely it will obscure a large fraction of solar disc.
'If you were in space, viewing the solar system from afar, you would see that the Sun, the Earth and the Moon will be aligned in a straight line. This arrangement is known as syzygy and will only last for a short period of time.'
We would love to see pictures of the eclipse where you are - but please remember to be safe!
Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye or with cameras, telescopes, glasses or other devices unless it has been specifically stated that it is safe to do so. Looking directly at the Sun without taking proper precautions can cause serious eye damage.
If you are planning to watch the eclipse (safely!) you can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk - please include a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
@BBCWeather tweeted: "Our latest thinking about the chances of viewing the partial #eclipse on Friday. Timing of cloud breaks critical."
Post update
The weather will have a big role to play in whether or not people catch a glimpse of the eclipse - and unfortunately it looks like it could be a bit cloudy out there this morning.
Key moments
08:18 GMT: The southern tip of the UK will begin to see a partial eclipse. This reaches its maximum at 09:23, covering 83% of the Sun.
09:30 GMT : London will see a maximum partial eclipse, covering 85% of the Sun.
09:35 GMT: Edinburgh will see a maximum partial eclipse, covering 93% of the Sun.
09:42 GMT: The total eclipse will happen in the Faroe Islands.
Between 83% and 98% of the eclipse will be visible from about 09:23 GMT onwards, depending on whereabouts in the UK you are watching from.
Post update
Good morning and welcome to our solar eclipse live page. We'll be doing our best to enlighten you as the UK is plunged into darkness on Friday morning when the Moon covers the Sun in a partial eclipse.
Live commentary on Friday morning's solar eclipse will appear here from 7am. The eclipse will be total in the Faroe Islands and Norwegian Svalbard, and the portion of the sun's disc obscured in the UK will vary from 96% in northern Scotland to 83% in southern England.
Live Reporting
Chris Lansdown, Lauren Turner, Kerry Alexandra, Jennifer Green and Michael Orwell
All times stated are UK
George HollidayCopyright: George Holliday AFP/gettyCopyright: AFP/getty Ben RymerCopyright: Ben Rymer ReutersCopyright: Reuters APCopyright: AP NASACopyright: NASA EPACopyright: EPA Adil AminCopyright: Adil Amin Steve Braithwaite Copyright: Steve Braithwaite NASACopyright: NASA PACopyright: PA EPACopyright: EPA Alison HendryCopyright: Alison Hendry NASACopyright: NASA Robin CleggCopyright: Robin Clegg AFP/GettyCopyright: AFP/Getty Allan TrowCopyright: Allan Trow ReutersCopyright: Reuters ReutersCopyright: Reuters AFP/GettyCopyright: AFP/Getty NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage TeamCopyright: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team EPACopyright: EPA BBCCopyright: BBC David CookCopyright: David Cook APCopyright: AP Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images PACopyright: PA EPACopyright: EPA Cameron BartonCopyright: Cameron Barton Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images Brian PowellCopyright: Brian Powell APCopyright: AP Linda LangdonCopyright: Linda Langdon BBC Stargazing Live FlickrCopyright: BBC Stargazing Live Flickr BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC Rebecca BeeversCopyright: Rebecca Beevers Met office/EumetsatCopyright: Met office/Eumetsat AFP/GettyCopyright: AFP/Getty PACopyright: PA EPACopyright: EPA Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images Chrissie DayCopyright: Chrissie Day BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC AFP/GettyCopyright: AFP/Getty Rob JohnsonCopyright: Rob Johnson Matthias BCopyright: Matthias B BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC John McConnellCopyright: John McConnell ReutersCopyright: Reuters Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images PACopyright: PA BBCCopyright: BBC PACopyright: PA BBCCopyright: BBC Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images APCopyright: AP APCopyright: AP BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC BBC Stargazing Flickr Copyright: BBC Stargazing Flickr BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC APCopyright: AP BBCCopyright: BBC BBCCopyright: BBC
Latest PostPost update
That just about wraps up our coverage of the solar eclipse. We hope you've enjoyed following events as the the skies went dark - and thank you for all your contributions.
Make sure you join us for the next eclipse!
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Barry Guard in France emails: As I am in the South of France there was not as much here but it did go darker. I watched it on the BBC website and it brought me to tears, it was so moving! Absolutely wonderful!!
Post update
The family of a young astronomy fanatic gave about 28,000 pairs of special protective eclipse glasses to local schoolchildren in memory of their son, who died at the age of 10 in 2009. You can read their story here.
Get in touch
George Holliday, Bridge of Allen, sent us this lovely image
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Grace and Bill in Tavistock, Devon emailed: Fantastic coverage of the eclipse. Thank you to the whole team - brilliant job!!!!!
Post update
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon went to the Glasgow Science Centre to see the eclipse.
Get in touch
Ben Rymer in East Yorkshire sent us this picture of a very red sky taken during Friday's eclipse.
Post update
Watching through protective glasses and through a window - this boy viewing the partial eclipse from the grounds of Belfast Zoo had the right idea about safety!
Post update
A spot of sunlight breaks through the clouds and shines on a vessel during the eclipse as seen in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands.
Was the oldest eclipse on record in Syria?
A Babylonian clay tablet (similar to the one shown below) is thought to be the earliest record of a total solar eclipse.
The tablet was uncovered in the ancient city of Ugarit - located in modern day Syria - and has two possible dates: 3 May 1375 BC or 5 March 1223 BC, the latter being favoured by most recent publications.
Post update
The partial solar eclipse was projected on to a flat surface through a telescope at the Insulaner Observatory in Berlin, Germany.
Get in touch
Adil Amin sent us his picture of the eclipse behind a tree in Royston, Hertfordshire.
Post update
Ali Boyle from the Science Museum in London has collated some interesting eclipse-related items from the museum's collection - you can see it on Storify here.
Post update
While some people had a spectacular view of the eclipse, others weren't quite so lucky. Hundreds had gathered at Regent's Park, London, with their protective glasses and telescopes ready - but cloudy conditions meant they were redundant.
Student doctor Uzair Adam, 23, from Clapham, south London, said: "It's been slightly anti-climactic. I remember the last one when I was a little kid.
"I remember the sky going dark and I thought: 'Wow, this is a moment to remember in history'.
"I thought that is what it's going to be today."
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Steve Braithwaite in Perth in Scotland sent us a picture of the reading from his solar panels during the eclipse.
The end of solar eclipses?
It's pure coincidence that we live in an age where Moon and Sun appear to be the same size from Earth; so the Moon is able to block out the Sun.
But the Moon is on the move. It's now around 18 times further away from us than when it was formed 4.5 billion years ago.
As the Moon moves away from us it will eventually be too far to completely block out the Sun. So enjoy the view while it lasts...
Discover why the Moon is moving away and what this means for us
Post update
Special solar filter glasses were one of the best ways to see the eclipse - it's what this trio wore at Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
Post update
An astronomy expert has tried to explain why the eclipse has been so special.
Dr Daniel Brown of Nottingham Trent University said: "The event illustrates why astronomy is the oldest science of them all, reaching back many millennia.
"It makes the cosmos and the universe come alive and shows how human emotions are influenced by skyscape: the sky together with the land and everything around us."
Post update
Amateur astronomer Hans-Ulrich and his son Tillmann used a home-made pinhole camera to see the eclipse in Hanover, Germany,
Post update
Alison Hendry in Perth and Kinross in Scotland sent us this image
Next total eclipse
On 21 August 2017, a total eclipse of the Sun will begin in the northern Pacific and cross the US from west to east.
Nasa has created a map showing the predicted path of the 2017 total eclipse through the US. Time to get excited.
A partial eclipse will also be visible over most of North America.
Find out more about the 2017 total eclipse
Post update
Robin Clegg in Birmingham sent us this picture of his view of the eclipse
Post update
Well, that's a novel way to view the eclipse! The advice was not to view the sun directly - but instead of special glasses, this man in Pristina, Kosovo, decided to use a dental X-ray.
Is eclipse-chasing addictive?
Eclipse-chasing psychologist Dr Kate Russo seems to think so.
On her website Dr Russo describes how it feels to chase the Moon's shadow: "Once you have seen a total eclipse, it seems to ignite a fire that becomes a powerful driving force. Eclipse chasing is not just a hobby - eclipse chasing is a way of life."
Read Dr Kate Russo's blog on the psychology of eclipses
Wales pictures
Wales was one of the best areas in the UK to see the eclipse from. Check out some of the best images of the day here.
History repeating: Every 6,585.3 days
Nearly identical eclipses (total, annual, or partial) reoccur after 18 years, 11 days and 8 hours, or every 6,585.3 days. This is called the Saros cycle. It was first known as a period when lunar eclipses seem to repeat themselves, but the cycle is applicable to solar eclipses as well.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Paddy Kenny emails: I had an amazing time watching the eclipse and numerous efforts to create a safe eclipse viewer, couldn't get them to work just as I give up I threw a piece of card on the worktop in my kitchen only to realize that conveniently the holes in my blind slats for the cords cast an amazing image of the eclipse unconventional but worked amazingly well experienced the eclipse in stunning clarity!
Post update
The partial eclipse can just about be seen over Stonehenge, Wiltshire, in this image.
Other eclipses in 2015
There are at least four eclipses every year - two solar and two lunar. Although up to seven can occur in one given year.
The next eclipse of 2015 is a lunar eclipse on 4 April. The next solar eclipse will be a partial one on 3 September. The final eclipse of this year is a lunar eclipse on 28 September.
Where to see an eclipse
Post update
The partial solar eclipse forming earlier near the cross of the Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Post update
@flightradar24 tweeted: "Pilots on some regular scheduled flights gave the passengers a special #SolarEclipse ride. Nice initiative!"
Post update
What did it feel like to see the eclipse? Here's a nice description from Ralph Wilkins, of the London-based Baker Street Irregular Astronomers, who watched events unfold outside a school in Hambrook, South Gloucestershire.
He said: "The sky started clearing just after first contact and we were able to watch the moon glide in front of the sun.
"It was a unique experience - eerie is the right word for it. The shadows started to sharpen and everything began to develop this yellowish hue.
"Whenever there's a solar eclipse in the UK you tend to get cloud, so to be treated to clear skies was really wonderful. It really was beautiful. We were all thrilled."
Post update
Full daylight returns to Svalbard, Norway, about one hour after totality.
Post update
A collage of eclipse images from Gaiberg near Heidelberg, south-western Germany, as the Moon covered the Sun.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Russell Hawker in Winchester emails: Not all parts of the UK are enjoying a view of the solar eclipse. We are having to use our imagination and picture what the eclipse would look like had the sky been clear.
Are there eclipses on other planets?
In order to have a solar eclipse a planet needs to have a moon. So planets like Venus and Mercury, with no moon, will never experience one.
Eclipses on other planets vary depending on the moon and planet combination. Mars' moons are quite small, so only create partial eclipses.
All of the giant planets in our Solar System - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - have substantial moons and can experience eclipses. Eclipses are particularly common on Jupiter, since its moons orbit in the same plane with the Sun.
This remarkable image shows the shadows cast on Jupiter by two of its moons.
[Image: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)]
Post update
Some of the most dramatic images of the eclipse have come from Svalbard, in Norway, which experienced totality at around 10:12 GMT.
Post update
In the UK, the clearest views of the partial eclipse were from Wales, parts of the West Country, the Midlands and eastern Scotland around Edinburgh.
Elsewhere, it was experienced as an abnormal level of darkness - and we've also had reports of birds falling silent and flocking to trees, confused by the fading light.
Post update
As well as the solar eclipse, today is marked by a super moon and a spring equinox. Watch the BBC Weather video here to explain what the equinox means.
Post update
Cold and "spooky" - but worth it. That's what spectators in Newlyn told BBC reporter Jonathan Maguire in Newlyn on the BBC News Channel.
Post update
That speck at the top of the picture is actually the eclipse, as seen from a plane over the Faroe Islands, one of the places to experience totality.
Post update
David Cook sent us his image of a plane flying across the eclipse in Blackburn, Lancashire.
Post update
Even animals got in on the act. The owner of this dog in Regent's Park, London, decided to play it safe during the eclipse by giving it protective glasses.
A trio of cosmic coincidences
In addition to the moon being a Supermoon and eclipsing the Sun, today also happens to be the March equinox (or spring equinox as it is known in the northern hemisphere).
Today, the Earth's axis will be perpendicular to the Sun's rays , which only happens twice a year, at the two equinoxes.
On the equinox, night and day are nearly exactly the same length all over the world.
The next total solar eclipse at the March equinox will happen in 2034.
Post update
Pupils from Saint Ursula's Covent Secondary School in Greenwich, south London, wore protective glasses to try to see the eclipse from the Royal Observatory.
Post update
Here's the eclipse over the Madeira Islands in Portugal, peeking out through the clouds.
Post update
This BBC picture gallery has images from the morning as a solar eclipse was seen across Europe, as well as parts of Asia and Africa.
Post update
After totality, full daylight returns to the Faroe Islands after about one hour.
Post update
It may look like the moon, but this is the Sun during the partial eclipse. This picture was taken from Calton Hill, Edinburgh.
Weather effects
Do solar eclipses affect our weather? Prof Richard Harrison, MBE, Head of Space Science at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory writes:
"An eclipse is a transient event in which the Moon's shadow crosses the Earth's surface so, in the region of totality, the Sun's heat is blocked for a short time. As you would expect, that does cause short-term impacts on weather. For example, it causes a drop in temperature that observers within the shadow can feel, and it has an influence on local wind patterns as temperature gradients are set up."
Post update
Europe wasn't the only place to experience the eclipse. This is what it looked like from Rabat, Morocco.
Post update
Clouds may have obscured the view of the eclipse in many places in the UK, but they later parted at Stonehenge and on the Isle of Lewis, allowing those gathering at the standing stones in each location to witness the phenomenon.
Post update
This photo comes from Cameron Barton, Basel, Switzerland.
Lunar eclipse – what’s the difference?
Lunar eclipses are completely different to solar eclipses. Rather than the Moon coming between the Sun and the Earth, the Earth drifts between the Moon and the Sun. This stops the Sun's rays reaching the Moon. The Moon is still visible during a lunar eclipse but appears red or orange.
Post update
This picture of students at Nailsea School, Bristol watching the eclipse was sent by Brian Powell.
Post update
@BBCweather tweeted: "Over 200 schools have taken readings for the #eclipse2015 weather experiment. Hope to have some results later."
Post update
Here's an atmospheric image of people in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, gathering on a hill to watch the total eclipse a little earlier this morning.
Post update
Linda Langdon from Cornwall sent us this photo of the view from south west England
Four different types of solar eclipse
The type of solar eclipse we see depends on how far away the Moon is as it travels across the Sun and whether it lines up directly between the Sun and the Earth.
If the Moon lines up with the Sun and the Earth and is orbiting close to our planet, a total eclipse will occur. If it's orbiting far from the Earth, we'll see an annular eclipse instead.
When the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, but doesn't block out all the light, it causes a partial eclipse - like the one some of us saw in the UK today.
Interactive: See how each type of solar eclipse is formed
Post update
Here's the Sun emerging after the total eclipse in Svalbard.
Totality in Svalbard
The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard has now experienced totality as shown in this image.
Post update
Rebecca Beevers from Rugby sent us this stunning image.
The eclipse from space
@BBCWeather tweets: "You can see the shadow cast by #Eclipse2015 on these images from space. Much darker over UK at 9.30am."
WATCH LIVE: Svalbard totality
See the total eclipse live now by clicking the "Live coverage" tab above.
Post update
Svalbard, Norway, is now experiencing totality. The eclipse will soon be zipping towards the North Pole where the Moon's shadow will lift off of the Earth after a journey of 3,635 miles (5,850 km) over 4 hours and 9 minutes.
Post update
It's been called the first great astronomical event of the century.
The last solar eclipse of such significance occurred on 11 August 1999. It was a total eclipse with 100% of the sun covered when seen from Cornwall.
The next so-called "deep" partial eclipse will be visible in the UK on 12 August 2026, with the next total eclipse not happening until September 2090.
Post update
The last major eclipse was back in 1999 which is why everyone has been so keen to catch a glimpse of today's event. Do let us know what you saw by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
A royal view
You're looking the wrong way! Here are King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands using protective glasses to watch the solar eclipse.
Post update
Sunspots - eruptions on the Sun's surface - and solar flares are some of the features that could be seen in Cornwall as the eclipse took hold, the BBC News channel is told.
Tweet us
@BBC_HaveYourSay
Not everyone has been able to see the eclipse @JoaoPereira43 tweeted "#eclipse too cloudy to see the eclipse in Southend :("
Post update
Stunning pictures of the eclipse are coming out. Here's the Sun behind one of the Liver Birds on Liverpool's Royal Liver building.
Post update
So, how was it for you? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk to tell us your experience of seeing the eclipse. Please don't look at the sun directly if you're taking any images though!
Post update
@BBCWeather tweets: "We couldn't see the #Eclipse2015 in London but the team went outside anyway!"
Post update
This boy in Turin, Italy, is trying to catch a glimpse of the eclipse - let's hope those are protective glasses he's got on!
Three discoveries we owe to solar eclipses
Sun's atmosphere: The solar corona is a million times less bright than the surface of the Sun. So this is the only time it can be seen without using special equipment to artificially block out the other sunlight. In fact, without eclipses, it's likely that the corona would have remained undiscovered until recent decades.
Helium: The second most abundant element known to humans was discovered during the total solar eclipse of August 16, 1868. It is named after the Greek word for the Sun - Helios.
Proving Einstein's theory: British astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington tested Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity during a total solar eclipse in 1919. By taking pictures of stars near the Sun he was able to show that gravity can bend light.
Post update
Chrissie Day she us her picture of people gathering to watch the eclipse in Truro in Cornwall this morning.
Post update
The BBC's Chris Hollins, watching the total eclipse on the Faroe Islands, said of the moment of the eclipse: "It's as if someone's pulled the light and life out of the place."
Post update
Some amazing detail can be seen in this picture of the total eclipse from the Faroe Islands.
Total eclipse heads for Svalbard
The only two land masses to experience a total eclipse today are the Faroe Isles 200 miles (321km) north of Scotland, and Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
Tweet us
@BBC_HaveYourSay
@KnowledgeInnit has tweeted @BBC_HaveYoursSay: #eclipse - just very gloomy here in Ealing. Too cloudy to see anything related to the moon getting in the way of the sun.
Post update
These schoolchildren from Leicester are intrigued by the eclipse.
"The sun changes colour and goes into a crescent shape," one commented.
Eclipse superstitions
In parts of India, people fast during a solar eclipse due to the belief that food cooked during an eclipse will be poisonous. Scientists have debunked this claim.
Post update
The BBC's John Maguire has tweeted another image of that solar grin, as seen through a screen.
Post update
BBC presenter Liz Bonnin watched the total eclipse over the Faroe Islands. She said: "I never really thought it was going to be this moving."
Total eclipse
What an amazing image - here's the total eclipse in the Faroe Islands.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Steve Hann, Faversham, Kent emails: I can't understand the panic over the supposed energy crisis the eclipse is going to cause. Isn't the country plunged into darkness every night? I'm sure if we can survive an 11 hour blackout at night, 2 minutes should be a doddle. Wont be any worse than everyone putting their kettles on after Eastenders I would suspect!
Post update
It's cloudy in many parts of the UK and Europe, as you can see here with this picture taken at an observatory in Kiel, northern Germany.
Post update
Rob Johnson sent us this picture form Aberystwyth in Wales
Post update
Matthias B in Iceland sent us this picture of his view of the eclipse
Post update
See the total eclipse in Faroe Islands by clicking on the "Live Coverage" tab above. Totality will last two minutes and 47 seconds.
Our ability to see eclipses like this is down to pure luck. The Sun is around 400 times bigger than the Moon - but it also happens to be about 400 times further away. This makes them appear roughly the same size when viewed from Earth, so the Moon is able to block out all of the Sun's disc, leaving the Sun's radiant corona shining behind it like a crown.
The eclipse around the world
This image shows where in the world the eclipse is visible. Large areas of Europe as well as Asia and Africa can see the phenomenon.
Svalbard has experienced first contact
Svalbard, the archipelago north of Norway, saw "first contact" at 09:11 GMT and awaits totality at 10:10 GMT
Post update
The Isle of Lewis, off the north coast of Scotland, sees a maximum eclipse. 98% of the Sun is covered by the Moon, creating a sky that resembles twilight.
Post update
The eclipse is one of the hot topics on Twitter. The hashtag #Eclipse2015 is trending worldwide, as is Bonnie Tyler - the Welsh singer who sang 1983 power ballad Total Eclipse Of The Heart.
Post update
There's a maximum eclipse at Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire. 89% of the Sun is covered by the Moon.
Post update
BBC reporter John Maguire says the temperature in Newlyn, Cornwall, has dropped by three degrees or so. He said: "It's quite spooky. It's an eerie feeling."
Supermoon
The Moon doesn't orbit the Earth in a perfect circle, so its distance from us varies. "Supermoons" occur when the Moon makes its closest pass in its orbit around Earth. Moon appears bigger than normal as a result. Last night, our Moon entered this phase, which is why it's close enough to Earth to completely block some light.
If the Moon was further away as it passed in front of the Sun, it would appear smaller and only block out the middle part of the Sun. Anyone standing beneath it would look up and see a 'ring of fire' around the Moon - an "annular" eclipse.
[Photo by John McConnell, BBC Sky at Night and Stargazing Live Flickr]
Post update
Here's how things are looking in Berlin this morning.
Post update
The eclipse has reached its maximum over Cornwall. People in the south of the UK see 83% of the Sun's disc covered by the Moon.
The Moon is speeding across the Sun at around 1,400mph (2,253km/h) - that's faster than a Concorde jet.
Watch by clicking the "live coverage" tab above.
Faroes reach 49% eclipse
As the eclipse races north-west, the Faroe Islands experience 49% eclipse; but at 09:41 GMT they will reach the magical 100% totality.
Post update
We'd love to see your pictures but remember not to look at the Sun directly. Remember you can also read our main news story here as well as watch the BBC News channel for the latest live images.
Sign of peace?
A dove is pictured in front of the eclipse in Munich, Germany. Central Europe is expected to get a 75% eclipse this morning.
Post update
Dr Anne Lawrence from the University of Reading has been looking at what our ancestors thought of solar eclipses. Apparently some thought a celestial dragon caused them by swallowing the sun or the moon.
Post update
Andy Burns from the Wiltshire Astronomical Society is watching events at the Avebury World Heritage site at Silbury Hill. He's seen eight eclipses in the past and describes them as "emotional experiences".
He said: "It doesn't matter that I've been around for a good number of years but you still remember those eclipses and they really are tearjerkers.
"The emotions that they can extract - all around you can see whole crowds of people with odd tears down their face - fantastic."
Post update
@BBCStargazing tweets: "We predicted the #eclipse would happen 100s of yrs ago, but didn't know if we could see it until now! Real science. #Weather #StargazingLive."
Post update
Students Greg Robertson, 19, and Sam Firminger, 20, have a suitably celebratory drink ready as they wait for the eclipse at Clifton Observatory, Bristol. The eclipse should only be viewed using special eclipse glasses like the ones on the right.
Eclipse mystery
For more than a century scientists have debated the existence of "eclipse wind". Over the years people have reported feeling a change in wind speed and direction during an eclipse. Some scientists think eclipse wind is imagined, but others think it is caused by the cold outflow of air from the umbral shadow (the region that's totally obscured by the Sun).
To try to solve the mystery once and for all, meteorologists at the University of Reading have joined with BBC Learning to ask UK schools to take part in a national eclipse weather experiment this morning. They hope this data could finally settle the debate.
NOW: Watch eclipse live
Use the "live coverage" tab above to watch BBC One's Stargazing Live: Eclipse special (09:00 - 10:00)
Post update
Some budding BBC School Reporters asked experts about the solar eclipse. Read what they found out here.
Post update
The Royal Astronomical Society has a really detailed guide to everything you need to know about the eclipse. Take a look at their leaflet here.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Dr Charlotte Hawkins in Devon emails: Sun is peeking out from behind the cloud layer in Ottery St Mary, Devon right now. We may be lucky and actually see the eclipse!
Once every 375 years
Total eclipses occur, on average, every 18 months somewhere on our planet. However you'd have to wait around 375 years for one to happen again in the same exact place.
Animation: Why are total solar eclipses so rare?
Today's eclipse will mark the last total solar eclipse in Europe for over a decade. The next one will appear on 12 August 2026.
Tweet us
@BBC_HaveYourSay
Where are you gathering to watch the #eclipse? Send us your pictures now. Remember not to look directly at the sun http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zcytpv4
Post update
Here's the eclipse beginning over the Eden Project near St Austell in Cornwall. A special filter has been applied to the camera.
Post update
Liz Bonnin is taking a flight over the Faroe Islands for the BBC's Stargazing Live. She's written a blog about her preparations for the experience.
Post update
Here's the scene at Stonehenge, where some will be celebrating the spring equinox as well as the solar eclipse, as captured by the BBC's Duncan Kennedy.
Wild behaviour
Total solar eclipses last up to seven minutes and 30 seconds, so it's difficult to study specific effects on animals. But there have been plenty of casual observations of behavioural changes as they're plunged into darkness and the temperature drops. Flowers have closed for night, birds have gone in to roost, insects have stop flying and nocturnal animals, like bats and owls have become active.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Chrissie Day in Harwood emails: Way up in the North Peninnes here at 1,400 feet, it already feels and sounds different, it's very quiet. The birds are quieter and even the new born lambs are quiet for this hour of the day.
Post update
So where are the best places to see the eclipse, from a weather perspective? Unfortunately it looks like there will be cloud over much of the UK. BBC Weather presenter Alex Deakin has the latest information.
"It's a really messy scene with bits of cloud here and there. Wales, Lincolnshire and the East Midlands are largely clear and east Scotland is still clear too.
"Edinburgh is a good place to get a view at the moment. There's very little chance of seeing it in London and it's hit and miss elsewhere."
Post update
Special protective glasses like these ones, being worn by a boy in Berlin, Germany, need to be used to see the eclipse - you can risk serious damage to your eyes otherwise.
Post update
How are you planning to watch the eclipse? Are you having an eclipse party? Or have you travelled far afield to get the best view? Let us know!
You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experience. Please include a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.
Post update
These enthusiasts are ready and waiting for a total eclipse in Torshavn, the capital city of the Faroe Islands.
What are scientists hoping to learn?
Dr Lucie Green, solar scientist at Mullard Space Science Laboratory, UCL says:
'Scientists will be investigating why the Sun's atmosphere is so hot. The energy source is known to come from the magnetic field in the atmosphere, but the exact details are still being unravelled.'
Dr Huw Morgan, physicist at Aberystwyth University, says:
'We will have many sets of custom-built telescopes all focused on the eclipse, all collecting light at different wavelengths - giving additional information on conditions in the mysterious solar corona.'
Prof Richard Harrison, MBE, Head of Space Science at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory says:
'Space-based instruments provide wonderful views of the Sun, and we are learning much about how our star works and how it influences us. But there is still much you can do from the ground… during an eclipse you can use large instruments in a way that you cannot from space.'
Post update
A reminder - as if you need it - not to take a selfie with the eclipse. You can seriously damage the back of your eyes if you look at the sun directly through your smartphone.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
You You Xue in Leicester emails: I've just travelled from Canterbury to Leicester to avoid the clouds and catch the eclipse. I'll be attempting to photograph the eclipse from a park near the space centre.
Post update
And here it is! The first contact has been made in parts of the UK, as this image taken with a special camera in Newlyn, Cornwall, shows.
Post update
How much of the eclipse is likely to be visible from where you are? This map should help:
Post update
So how can you see the eclipse safely? BBC iWonder has everything you need to know here.
Post update
One of the first to see the eclipse, all being well, should be BBC reporter John Maguire who is in Newlyn, Cornwall. He tweets: "I know I know there's cloud - but the sun is brightening - the camera filters are on!!"
Post update
A partial eclipse has begun in the south of the UK. People in Cornwall are "first contact" - this is the very first moment the Moon begins to pass in front of the Sun.
‘Unforgettable sight’
Is it worth stopping to watch a solar eclipse, even if it's not total? We ask Kevin Kilburn from the Manchester Astronomical Society:
'Any eclipse is worth seeing and a 90% partial will be an unforgettable sight.
'I'm very much looking forward to this eclipse, the longest in the UK since 1999. Nearly a generation has passed since then and it's a timely reminder that eclipses have been important events in our history.'
Find out how to watch the solar eclipse safely
Post update
BBC correspondent Ben Ando tweets: "In my practical and stylish eclipse goggles we are at Leicester where it's clear and currently cloud free!!"
Global views of the eclipse
While relatively few people are lucky enough to get the chance of seeing a total eclipse, a partial eclipse will be visible in many countries today, as this image shows.
Eclipse highlights
Solar scientist Dr Lucie Green emails:
'If you are able to see a total eclipse look for the shapes in the pearly glow of the corona, these are being created by the Sun's magnetic field. If you are watching a partial eclipse watch how the shape and size of the crescent Sun change over time.'
Watch the total eclipse at 09:00 using the "live coverage" tab above.
Interactive: Click to reveal the eclipse key moments
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
John Dinning in Leeds emails: Working away in Leeds today, I have my camera equipment ready, although it's half cloudy now but there's still time for clear skies... I have a good position for the event.
Never look at the Sun directly
The Sun's rays are so intense you can feel their warmth from 150m km away. So looking at the Sun directly, even for a few seconds, can seriously damage your eyes. It allows ultraviolet (UV) light to flood in and burn the light-sensitive cells - causing blurry vision and blind spots.
Watching an eclipse with normal sunglasses provides virtually no protection. But there are cheap and easy ways you can see an eclipse safely - such as making a pinhole viewer, building a projector using binoculars or wearing special eclipse glasses.
How to make an eclipse viewer
Post update
BBC science correspondent Pallab Ghosh is having slightly better luck, weather-wise.
He tweets: "Breaks in the clouds here @Jodrellbank to see #Eclipse2015."
Post update
We've got BBC correspondents out across the UK keeping their fingers crossed for a good view of the eclipse.
Carol Kirkwood is on the Isle of Lewis where it is currently looking a tad cloudy and rainy. She tells BBC Breakfast she might need windscreen wipers on her special eclipse-viewing glasses, if things don't improve.
Post update
But what everyone wants to know is: What will the weather be like? BBC Weather presenter Alex Deakin has the answers.
"There will be a lot of cloud across the UK at 9.30 [GMT] but Wales, south west England the Midlands and Lincolnshire are going to have the clearest weather. North east England and eastern Scotland should have some breaks in the cloud too.
"Elsewhere, it's looking unlikely - but there could be some small breaks. The cloudiest areas will be East Anglia, south east England, Northern Ireland and western Scotland."
Bristol and Cardiff are the major cities set to get the best show.
Ancient omens
Astronomers understood what caused solar eclipses by about 20 BC. Before then, different civilisations came up with various stories to explain the Sun's disappearance:
Consumed: The Vikings blamed wolves for chasing and eating the Sun. In Vietnam it was devoured by a giant frog. In ancient China, a dragon was responsible.
Theft: Korean folklore tells of fire dogs that try to steal the Sun. The mythical beasts always fail to capture it, but they'd leave their bite marks in the Sun's disc during the eclipse.
Fight: Accordingly to the Batammaliba people of Western Africa, a solar eclipse was the result of a fight between the Sun and the Moon.
Post update
Shops in the Faroe Islands are certainly set for the event. Some tour operators have organised special trips to the islands.
Rosemary Sloggett, managing director of The Independent Traveller, which is taking 133 eclipse-watchers there, said: "A lot of people travelling with us are experiencing their eighth, ninth or 10th eclipse. I think once you've seen one total eclipse it's something that gets under your skin."
BBC Weather presenter Alex Deakin doesn't have great news for them however - as rain is currently forecast.
Post update
While the UK is set to experience a partial eclipse, other parts of Europe are getting an even better show. Torshavn, the capital city of the Faroe Islands is getting totality for a full two minutes, starting just before 09:41 GMT.
In Svalbard, even further north, the town of Longyearbyen will witness two-and-a-half minutes of totality, starting shortly after 10:10 GMT.
Get in touch
email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
James Yateman in Liverpool emails: I am a Physics student at the University of Liverpool, and the Physics building is opening early to allow students and staff to watch the eclipse on the roof, with a spot of breakfast and solar viewers. There's expected to be a fair turnout.
Total eclipse: Watch online
We'll bring you uninterrupted footage of the total eclipse from a BBC Stargazing Live aircraft in the Faroe Islands.
Watch from 09:00 using the "Live Coverage" tab above.
Interactive: Click to see what you can expect
Post update
Public Health England has some useful advice here as well. The head of its optical radiation group, John O'Hagan, said: "An eclipse is an amazing spectacle and one which we expect people all over the UK to enjoy.
"But it's important to remember that this amazing sight, if viewed incorrectly, could pose a risk to your eyesight. Even if it's cloudy there's a risk of eye damage.
"Sunglasses won't give enough protection. Although they may reduce the sun's glare, they allow you to look for longer, allowing more sunlight into the eye."
What’s happening in space?
Dr Edward Bloomer, Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich emails:
'Quite what you'll observe depends on where you are, but in Britain we'll see a partial solar eclipse. From our point of view, the Moon will move in front of the Sun and although it won't cover the Sun entirely it will obscure a large fraction of solar disc.
'If you were in space, viewing the solar system from afar, you would see that the Sun, the Earth and the Moon will be aligned in a straight line. This arrangement is known as syzygy and will only last for a short period of time.'
Animation: Click to see how solar eclipses happen
Post update
We would love to see pictures of the eclipse where you are - but please remember to be safe!
Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye or with cameras, telescopes, glasses or other devices unless it has been specifically stated that it is safe to do so. Looking directly at the Sun without taking proper precautions can cause serious eye damage.
If you are planning to watch the eclipse (safely!) you can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk - please include a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.
Post update
@BBCWeather tweeted: "Our latest thinking about the chances of viewing the partial #eclipse on Friday. Timing of cloud breaks critical."
Post update
The weather will have a big role to play in whether or not people catch a glimpse of the eclipse - and unfortunately it looks like it could be a bit cloudy out there this morning.
Key moments
08:18 GMT: The southern tip of the UK will begin to see a partial eclipse. This reaches its maximum at 09:23, covering 83% of the Sun.
09:30 GMT : London will see a maximum partial eclipse, covering 85% of the Sun.
09:35 GMT: Edinburgh will see a maximum partial eclipse, covering 93% of the Sun.
09:42 GMT: The total eclipse will happen in the Faroe Islands.
See the path of the eclipse on an animated map by Nasa
Post update
Between 83% and 98% of the eclipse will be visible from about 09:23 GMT onwards, depending on whereabouts in the UK you are watching from.
Post update
Good morning and welcome to our solar eclipse live page. We'll be doing our best to enlighten you as the UK is plunged into darkness on Friday morning when the Moon covers the Sun in a partial eclipse.
Where to watch the eclipse
BBC Weather explains where the partial eclipse can be seen in the UK on Friday morning.
Safe viewing
Get ready for the eclipse with this interactive guide to watching it safely.
Solar eclipse live coverage
Live commentary on Friday morning's solar eclipse will appear here from 7am. The eclipse will be total in the Faroe Islands and Norwegian Svalbard, and the portion of the sun's disc obscured in the UK will vary from 96% in northern Scotland to 83% in southern England.