By LETTICE BROMOVSKY, NEWS REPORTER and WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER
Eclipse mania has gripped Britain, with beaches, parks and beauty spots packed with sky-watchers hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare celestial spectacle.
The Moon has now reached its peak across the UK, blocking up to 96 per cent of the Sun's disc and leaving only a sliver of sunlight visible in the deepest parts of the country.
The partial eclipse began shortly after 6pm in parts of the UK, with maximum coverage occurring at roughly 7.05pm to 7.13pm depending on location, before the Moon gradually moves away from the Sun and the spectacle ends shortly after 8pm.
The extraordinary event has also prompted warnings of disruption, with huge crowds travelling to prime viewing spots and concerns that distracted motorists could cause accidents as drivers turn their attention towards the skies.
Britons have been urged to take care when watching the eclipse and never look directly at the Sun without proper certified eclipse glasses, as even a partially obscured Sun can cause serious and permanent eye damage.
And if you miss it, you will have a long wait for another spectacle on this scale, with the next similarly deep eclipse visible from the UK not until 2050 and the next total solar eclipse visible from Britain not until 2090.
If you're watching the eclipse tonight and have managed to snap a picture of the crowds or the eclipse, then we'd love to see it!
You can send in your pictures to mailonlinepictures@dailymail.co.uk
A total solar eclipse plunged western Iceland into complete darkness, though heavy cloud cover and rain blocked the sight of the sun disappearing behind the moon.
Total darkness swept over Keflavik, some 50 kilometres southwest of the capital Reykjavik, at 5:47 pm.
It was the first time the rare phenomenon was visible in Iceland's capital Reykjavik since 1433, and attracted thousands of tourists and locals across the country.
A space expert has said that people could feel 'emotional' while watching the best solar eclipse in decades.
Dhara Patel, who is a space expert at the National Space Centre, said some people may be overcome by emotion while watching the eclipse.
Speaking at the UK’s largest space attraction in Leicester, she said:
