PICTURES and VIDEO: Day slowly darkened as first eclipse of this century began

Although the celestial phenomenon was obscured by clouds, it was still possible with the right equipment to get excellent photographs.

Skies began to to darken this morning as the Moon started to move between us and the Sun, with the eclipse peaking at around 9.30am across the country.

Wirral entered the twilight zone at around 8.24am at the start of the first near-total eclipse visible in the UK for 16 years.

Pupils at Weatherhead High School in Wallasey gathered in the playground, under close supervision by teachers to ensure safety procedures were followed, to see the eclipse.

BELOW: Pupils at Weatherhead High School in Wallasey watch this morning's eclipse. Picture: Paul Heaps

The last solar eclipse of such significance occurred on August 11 1999, and was 'total' - with 100% of the sun covered when seen from Cornwall.

BELOW: Reader Kirst Bakstad sent in this lovely image via Facebook

BELOW: Globe reader Mike Roberts sent in this picture of this morning's eclipse

Another 'deep' partial eclipse visible in the UK will not occur until August 12, 2026, and the next total eclipse not until September 2090.

BELOW: Globe reader Anthony Robinson sent in this picture of this morning's eclipse

Today's eclipse will produce a 100-mile-wide 'totality' shadow path that crosses the North Atlantic and covers only two land masses, the Faroe Islands between Scotland and Iceland and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.

BELOW: Globe reader Marie Siddorn sent in this picture of this morning's eclipse

BELOW: Pupils at Weatherhead High School in Wallasey watch this morning's eclipse. Picture: Paul Heaps

BELOW: Globe reader George York sent in three pictures of the eclipse

BELOW: Sarah Evans from Eastham sent in this picture of the eclipse

BELOW: Reader Mike Blundell sent in this beautiful picture of the eclipse over St James' Church in New Brighton 

BELOW: Mark David Lloyd sent in this beautiful picture from Thurstaston.

BELOW: Globe reader Peter New sent in this lovely image from Woodchurch.

BELOW: Daniel Sanxis took this picture from his loft window in Lower Bebington.

BELOW: Lynne Mearns sent in these pictures of pupils and staff at Bidston Avenue Primary watching this morning

BELOW: Reader Laminda Jordaan Moreland sent in the following three pictures via Facebook, taken from Rock Ferry.

BELOW: Regular contributor Tom Munns sent in the following four images via Facebook.

Eclipse from Birkenhead #Wirral @WIRRALGLOBENEWS @LivEchonews @bbcmerseyside #eclipse2015 pic.twitter.com/6Jw4M821Pe

— David Chennell (@PhotographyDJC) March 20, 2015

#eclipse2015 over Birkenhead Park this morning.  @bbcmerseyside @WIRRALGLOBENEWS @LivEchonews #SolarEclipse pic.twitter.com/64kYuRiqpG

— Birkenhead Park (@BirkenheadPark1) March 20, 2015

@WIRRALGLOBENEWS bebington  pic.twitter.com/Vw4Q5s25UN #SolarEclipse #solareclipse2015

— Dave (@davepolo64) March 20, 2015

#eclipse2015 in #westkirby #wirral @WIRRALGLOBENEWS pic.twitter.com/87HL117MXZ

— Vicki Lee (@vickijlee88) March 20, 2015

@Wirral_Weather @WIRRALGLOBENEWS @LivEchonews Heswall with a colander pic.twitter.com/NkHxDDMaFE

— Robert Edge (@bobfromwirral1) March 20, 2015

Just 2 of many pictures I took during todays solar eclipse on #Wirral. @LivEchonews @WIRRALGLOBENEWS @Mailonlinepics pic.twitter.com/HKmJRTyCtV

— Tom Munns (@CameraTom1) March 20, 2015

@WIRRALGLOBENEWS. Colleagues, visitors & patients at #Wirral's Arrowe Park viewing the #eclipse2015 safely. pic.twitter.com/ftJcTKiGYC

— Wirral NHS Hospitals (@wuthnhs) March 20, 2015

@WIRRALGLOBENEWS eclipse from our front window. #eclipse pic.twitter.com/XCM1E3Z8Z9

— Gemma Smith (@gemzysmith84) March 20, 2015

Beautiful partial Eclipse in the Wirral. #Wirral #eclipse @LivEchonews @WIRRALGLOBENEWS @SkyNews pic.twitter.com/tiWReoCOlR

— Steve Humphreys (@SteveHumphPhoto) March 20, 2015

@WIRRALGLOBENEWS best picture from oxton pic.twitter.com/OA9S6d1rPH

— little evey opo (@eveyopo) March 20, 2015