THOUSANDS looked to the sky to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse on Friday morning, and although clouds meant few in Wharfedale got a perfect view, the event still proved a spectacular sight.

The partial eclipse, in which around 90 per cent of the sun was obscured by the moon, was the first on this scale since 1999.

It will be 2029 before the next one and more than 70 years until the next total eclipse, so many were keen to make the most of this opportunity.

Ilkley Grammar School made sure they were equipped so that students and staff could view the eclipse safely.

The school bought 100 pairs of specially designed eclipse viewers and students were carefully supervised as they viewed the eclipse from the school courts. The time of maximum coverage was a few minutes before morning break at the Grammar School and coverage of the event was projected live in B Hall for students to watch. Keen scientist, 17-year-old Karl Cooper took some stunning shots of the eclipse.

There was a huge sense of excitement among pupils at Ilkley’s Westville House School, as the moon swept over the sun and skies above darkened.

Many had made fantastic solar eclipse viewers and the event was a fantastic opportunity for the children to learn about science in the great outdoors and some tremendous photographs were taken, which have already been used for further lessons.

Mr Christian Adamthwaite, deputy head, said: “The solar eclipse is such a rare event and it is great to be able to share and explain this to the children. They have all been very excited. The view from the top of the hill here at Westville was spectacular.”

Across Wharfedale many captured the moment on camera. Rachel Hemers, of Mill Fold, Addingham, took several pictures from Old Lane just on the edge of the village and Philip Robins, of Bark Lane, Addingham, also captured the partial eclipse.

“Despite the cloudy conditions Addingham was favoured with a brief break in the clouds, at just the right time, to give an impressive view of the partial solar eclipse,” he said. “If anything the surrounding grey clouds added a dramatic contrast.”

Andrew Smith, of Ilkley, managed to get a great photograph, taken from his front garden, at the time of the maximum eclipse. “Thankfully the clouds didn’t completely spoil the view!” he said.

Over in Horsforth cloud coverage also threatened to spoil the event, but a brief break in the clouds allowed Steve Davey to photograph the eclipse from the Woodside Trading Estate in Low Lane.

The rare cosmic sight was also seen through clouds in Otley. Dan Lebath snapped the event from the top of the Chevin, while keen local amateur photographer John Morgan also captured several impressive images of the eclipse unfolding.