‘The colander worked best!’ Guardian readers share their experience of the solar eclipse

On Wednesday evening, millions of people in Europe watched a rare solar eclipse. We asked some of them to share their photographs and experiences of this celestial treat. Here are some of their responses.‘A few minutes of glory’Deniz (in orange) with friends and two families. Photograph: Tom Harrup/Guardian communityA few minutes of glory with my husband’s welding visors in cloudy Loch Lubnaig. Deniz, 45, artist, Glasgow ‘It was bizarre: dozens of people with cereal boxes and colanders on their heads’David’s picture of the eclipse on Hampstead Heath, London. Photograph: David/Guardian communityBizarre being on Hampstead Heath with dozens of people with cereal boxes and colanders on their heads as the light fades. David, 57, Hampstead, London‘It was amazing to see the sky change in front of me’Amelia said the solar eclipse was ‘a surreal experience’. Photograph: Amelia Thomas/Guardian communityI’m a keen photographer and enjoy capturing special moments and experiences through photos. I love being outdoors and photographing things that are unusual or memorable. Seeing the solar eclipse was such a surreal experience. I was really excited to witness it and capture the moment, especially as it’s not something you get to see every day. The atmosphere felt completely different as the eclipse happened, and it was amazing to see the sky change in front of me. I wanted to capture a photo that showed just how special and memorable the experience was. Amelia, 19, receptionist, Nuneaton, Warwickshire ‘We thought that the colander worked best’Matt on the beach in Deal. Photograph: Matt/Guardian communityMy wife, Becky, and I watched the eclipse from Deal beach with a range of homemade viewing devices – we thought that the colander worked best! Matt, 38, Eastry, Kent ‘We were in awe’‘Some passengers got a bit choked up’ … The view from a ship in Iceland. Photograph: James/Guardian communityWe have travelled twice before this to witness an eclipse. Once in 2017 and once in 2024, both times it was too cloudy to properly see totality. This time, we travelled to Iceland and boarded a ship called World Navigator to find a clear spot. It was cloudy all day, but because of the work and talent of the captain and crew, and some very good luck, a large patch of clear sky opened up right before totality, with a few minutes to spare, and lasted long enough to witness the eclipse in all of its glory. We were really in awe, with some passengers getting a bit choked up. The pictures don’t nearly do it justice. James, 64, retired attorney, Sonoma County, California ‘Such a cool, unifying event!’People out on a street in Islington, London. Photograph: Luke/Guardian communityI went out on to the street and saw everyone with their little contraptions – such a cool unifying event. Luke, 30, lawyer, Islington, London ‘It was so exciting’Sarah took her photo from her doorstep. Photograph: Sarah/Guardian communityI watched the eclipse through my camera from my front door – we were lucky enough to have a direct view from our doorstep. It was the first solar eclipse I can remember seeing, and it was so exciting. I kept calling my wife to come and look. Sarah, 31, admin worker, Alcester, Warwickshire ‘We saw crescent circles of light shifting on the cardboard’‘It was a great chance to take a moment to be in nature,’ says Annayah. Photograph: Annayah/Guardian communityWe sat out by the green outside our house with a bunch of our neighbours, colanders and pizza boxes in hand! It was a great chance to take a moment to be in nature, surrounded by our community and folks of all ages, all pausing to observe the eclipse. We felt the heat shift and our shadows lengthen in the reflection of the sun, reflected through our colander on to a pizza box! We saw crescent circles of light shifting on the cardboard as the moon moved across the sun – it looked like scales. My partner and I were really young in 1999, so this is the first eclipse we’ve seen IRL. I’m so glad we could share the colander silliness with each other and our community. Annayah, 31, lecturer, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire ‘It was lovely to listen to children playing whilst taking in the atmosphere’A time lapse of the eclipse. Photograph: Laura Ngo/Guardian communityI’m a 41-year-old physics graduate who loves amateur astrophotography. I use my telescope in my back yard, but last night I took it to Brightlingsea, along with my dog. It’s one of the few west-facing beaches in the south-east. Lots of people made their way there. It was lovely to listen to children playing whilst taking in the atmosphere. All the kids were absolutely enjoying it. There was a very community feel on the beach. There was one child who didn’t have any glasses so I passed them mine and they said: “It just looks like the moon.”Laura Ngo, 41, Essex‘My sister called to say she had 10 pairs of glasses’Pauline’s family watching the eclipse in northern Belgium. Photograph: Pauline Vandewiele/Guardian communityWe went with my siblings, parents and my husband to watch the eclipse. It was my sister who got the glasses because I thought we weren’t going to get to see it, and then she messaged everyone like, “Let’s gather, let’s go.” And I was telling her, “But we don’t have glasses.” but she had 10 pairs of glasses. We even gave some to the people there who didn’t have any so it was really very cosy. I loved capturing our little social gathering. Pauline Vandewiele, 30, interior architect, northern Belgium