Watch CBS News

Rare show for (some) solar eclipse watchers

Some people in Europe had a spectacular view this morning, if the clouds didn't get in the way
Sky gazers across the world enjoy rare total solar eclipse 01:33

LONGYEARBYEN, Norway -- Some sky-gazers got a spectacular show while others weren't so lucky today as the moon completely blocked out the sun in a total eclipse only visible from land in two remote places.

There were shouts and cheers in the Arctic where there was a perfect view in a clear sky as the moon's shadow was cast over Norway's remote archipelago of Svalbard.

A blanket of clouds in the Faeroe Islands in the North Atlantic blocked thousands of people from experiencing the full effect of the total eclipse.

A woman shows her disappointment while wearing protective glasses as she tries, unsuccessfully, to get a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse
A woman shows her disappointment while wearing protective glasses as she tries, unsuccessfully, to get a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse, March 20, 2015, in London. Getty

And CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata said residents of Britain's capital were able to skip the solar safety glasses to view the eclipse, too -- what little they could see of it. Cloud cover, a familiar condition for the English, made the experience largely disappointing for those gathered on the lawns outside the Royal Observatory at Greenwich.

About 20,000 visitors had traveled to the two remote island groups to watch the spectacle.

Despite the clouds in the Faeroes, tourists and residents hooted and applauded as the daylight dimmed. A woman in the northern part of the Faeroes said birds there went silent and dogs started howling.

The next total eclipse will be over Indonesia in March 2016.

As D'Agata reports, the year after that should grant many Americans the same special show.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.