Solar Eclipse 2015: Millions of people catch a glimpse of rare phenomenon

Millions of people in northern Europe have glimpsed the best solar eclipse in years on March 20.

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

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

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.

Many professional and amateur astronomers positioned themselves in the Faroe Islands, where the capital city of Torshavn got totality for a full two minutes, beginning just before 09:41 GMT.

Those who could not book a flight or a hotel for the Faroes went to Svalbard, where the capital city of Longyearbyen witnessed two and a half minutes of totality, starting shortly after 10:10 GMT.

Irrespective of the cloud cover, scientists said citizens could still help them with their research.

The next solar eclipse will occur on March 9, 2016, and will cross Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, and extend out over the Pacific.

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James J. Williams

James is a professor in Science. His writing skills brought him to BelleNews. He enjoys writing articles for the Science and Technology category. James often finds himself reading about the latest gadgets as the topic is very appealing to him. He likes reading and listening to classical music.