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As the solar eclipse covers the UK, remarkable images are revealing the incredible moment that the sun is blocked by the moon.
In the UK, first contact - the moment the moon's shadow first appears on the sun - occurred at 18:08 in Scotland.
Viewers in London, meanwhile, had to wait a little longer until first contact became visible at 18:17 - but should last all the way until 20:10.
Spectators in Europe have to wait a little longer still for the moon's orbit to cover the sun, although large parts of northern and central Spain, a section of Portugal and areas in Greenland and Iceland will experience the rare total eclipse.
In the UK however, it will have reached its peak of 96 per cent after about an hour of its first glimpse, although the specific moment of peak coverage will depend on where a viewer is in the UK.
At this point, the country will have descended into relative darkness and the temperature dropped, with many viewers taking in the rare spectacle at popular lookout points.
If you missed this eclipse, the next chance to see such a significant natural phenomenon won't come to the UK until 2050, and you'll have to wait until 2090 for the next totality.
Meanwhile, take in the extraordinary moment from this evening with a selection of the most striking pictures...
A view of the total eclipse, as the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, as seen from on board the Ambassador cruise ship Ambition, off the coast of Greenland
The sun begins to peak out ad the moon's orbit moves it away from its peak, taken on board the Ambassador cruise ship Ambition, off the coast of Greenland
The Moon passes in between the Earth and the Sun 7.13pm, during the solar eclipse as seen from King's Stairs Gardens in Bermondsey, south London
The moon partially covers the sun during a solar eclipse as seen from Arija, Spain
The Moon passes in between the Earth and the Sun 6.38pm, at the start of the solar eclipse as seen from King's Stairs Gardens in Bermondsey, south London, the first total solar eclipse visible over mainland Europe since 1999
The International Space Station, with a crew of seven onboard, is seen in silhouette as it transits at roughly five miles per second across the backdrop of the sun being partially blocked by the moon and some clouds
The moon partially covers the sun during a solar eclipse, as seen from Berlin, Germany
The Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun during the total solar eclipse, as seen from on board the Ambassador cruise ship Ambition, off the coast of Greenland
The sun during a partial solar eclipse, seen from Asten, Netherlands - at the eclipse's peak in the country, nearly 90 percent of the sun will disappear behind the moon
People watch the solar eclipse during the European Athletics Championships Birmingham 2026
Passengers on board the Ambassador cruise ship Ambition watching the start of the total solar eclipse off the coast of Greenland
Meanwhile, holidaymakers test their protective glasses ahead of a solar eclipse, at El Arenal beach in Mallorca
Hundreds of residents and tourists pack the steep, grassy slopes of the historic Krakus Mound during the late afternoon to watch a solar eclipse in Krakow, Poland