A man uses a dental X-ray to better observe the solar eclipse in Kosovo capital Pristina on Friday, March 20, 2015. Clouds moving over the country allowed only brief views of the eclipse which in southern Europe was partial. AP
SVALBARD, Norway — A solar eclipse briefly darkened the sky over northern Europe on Friday, and millions used sun viewers ranging from a welder’s mask to a dental X-ray to watch the cosmic phenomenon.
While the best spot to view the rare total eclipse was in the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, possibly the worst was in murky and damp London. But that didn’t stop schoolchildren wearing protective glasses from looking up at the thick cloud cover over the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park.
And a dog owner even put shielding eyewear on his pooch in London’s Regent’s Park.
Spectators were creative in trying to get a glimpse of the eclipse. The welder’s mask was held up to the sky by a woman in Ukraine, while a man in Kosovo used a dental X-ray to better observe the wonder. Others used makeshift pinhole projectors, while one viewer used a dark glass plate in Bosnia’s capital.
The Dutch royals got in the mood, with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima watching the eclipse at the Fish Market in Hamburg, Germany. The queen, dressed from head to toe in red, smiled as her husband pointed up to the sky in delight.
A man uses a piece of tinted glass to observe a solar eclipse in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, March 20, 2015. Astronomy lovers and sky gazers in Serbia were treated to a clear blue sky as they observed a solar eclipse in Belgrade on Friday. AP
A woman use a welders mask to watch the solar eclipse in Kiev, Ukraine, Friday, March 20, 2015. An eclipse is darkening parts of Europe on Friday in a rare solar event that won’t be repeated for more than a decade. AP
A solar eclipse is seen through a dark glass plate in Sarajevo, Bosnia , on Friday , March 20, 2015. Solar eclipse is darkening parts of Europe on Friday in a rare solar event that won’t be repeated for more than a decade. AP
The solar eclipse is reflected on the sunglasses of a man in Nicosia, Cyprus, Friday, March 20, 2015. AP
A solar eclipse is seen through a dark glass plate in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on Friday, March 20, 2015. AP
Sister Mira from Albania looks at a solar eclipse in St.Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Friday, March 20, 2015. AP
Schoolchildren pose for photographers at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park, as people gather to try to see the solar eclipse in London, Friday, March 20, 2015. In the capital, thick cloud cover obscured a view of the sun. AP
A dog is given protective glasses by its owner prior to the solar eclipse in Regent’s Park in London, Friday, March 20, 2015. Unfortunately due to heavy cloud cover, the eclipse was not visible in London. AP