PARIS: People across Earth’s northern hemisphere viewed an annular solar eclipse on Thursday with parts of Canada and Siberia privy to the best view of the celestial event.

The eclipse was partly visible to observers in North America, parts of Europe including France and the UK, and some of northern Asia.

In London, where the moon covered 20 per cent of the sun as the eclipse reached totality, sky-gazers glimpsed the event through cloud cover.

Observers on the east coast of the United States were treated to a rare eclipsed sunrise.

In northern Canada, northern Russia, northwest Greenland and the North Pole, the sun was 88 percent obscured by the moon.

Many live stream views from various locations broadcast on YouTube were also subject to cloud cover.

However, those with maximum visibility — and the necessary protective eyewear — would have seen the moon’s silhouette ringed by the sun for a few minutes of the two-hour event.

Ahead of the eclipse, experts warned people not to try and look at the sun directly, even through the clouds.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2021