ECLIPSE: Our photographer catches the partial eclipse that nobody else could see

SKYWATCHERS around the world paused for a moment to witness an eclipse of the sun this morning. And Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard photographer Brian Purdy was also there to capture the magical moment on camera. A dark shadow swept across

SKYWATCHERS around the world paused for a moment to witness an eclipse of the sun this morning.

And Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard photographer Brian Purdy was also there to capture the magical moment on camera.

A dark shadow swept across the surface plant as the Moon passed directly between the earth and the Sun.

Russia was due to see the longest eclipse at around 10.21am today, but in Britain there was only a partial eclipse.

Between a tenth and a third of the sun was covered by the moon, but in places like the Shetland Isles the sun was obscured by as much 36per cent of the moon.

Mr Purdy, spoke of how he captured the special moment on film: "All the human eye could see was a bright light in the sky. What I have done is drastically reduced the amount of light which comes into the camera to produce the picture.

"I used a 600mm lens, which had a polarised filter and a neutral density filter and the setting was 8,000 at F11 and I bracketed with three runs of a bracket of nine shots. This gave me 27 different exposures and this is the result on a digital camera."

Total solar eclipses usually take place about once every 18 months and always at a new Moon.