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Cape Town - Thousands of people on Friday flocked to get a glimpse of the solar eclipse, with Europe's remote north offering the best views for land-based watchers.
However this footage taken by the European Space Agency’s Sun-watching Proba-2 mini-satellite allows for a ringside seat from orbit of the 10th solar eclipse of the 21st century.
Posted on the agency's YouTube account, the Proba-2 used its SWAP imager to capture the Moon passing in front of the Sun.
ESA said, "SWAP views the solar disc at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths to capture the turbulent surface of the Sun and its swirling corona."
And the images are spectacular - Watch the 12-second time-lapse video here
(ESA)
(ESA)
(ESA)
But some die-hard eclipse enthusiasts even flew in to the Faroe Islands and Norway's Arctic Svalbard archipelago - the only places where the less than three-minute total eclipse was visible - were rewarded with the best views.
AFP reports more than 8000 tourists had gathered in the Faroes, a Danish autonomous territory in the North Atlantic.
But elsewhere, most of those who headed outside to watch the moon pass between Earth and the sun were left disappointed by cloud cover.
An eclipse of varying degrees was first visible across northern Africa, most of Europe, northwest Asia and then the Middle East.
Spain's Canary Islands were one of the first places the partial eclipse was visible, early Friday.
In the Swedish capital Stockholm, a crescent-shaped sun shone through overcast skies as temperatures dropped, prompting people in the city's business district to stop and take pictures with their smartphones.
But elsewhere, observers were disappointed by the grey skies that ruined their view. In London, where the moon covered approximately 84 percent of the sun, a lively crowd of around 500 people gathered in Regent's Park to savour the moment.
As with previous eclipses, experts warned the public not to look directly at the sun due to the danger of eye damage, and a police officer handed out special glasses.
Total eclipses occur when the moon moves between Earth and the Sun, and the three bodies align precisely.
The moon as seen from Earth is just broad enough to cover the solar face, creating a breath-taking silver halo in an indigo sky pocked by daytime stars.
The next total solar eclipse visible from Europe is not due until August 12, 2026.
Another celestial phenomenon is also expected on Friday.
Earth's satellite also appear as a "supermoon" on Friday, which happens at its closest point to our planet, its perigee.
This, and the moon's alignment with the sun, will add to the gravitational pull on the seas -- creating what is literally a high point in the 18-year lunar cycle.
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