A partial solar eclipse took place on Saturday, as the moon crossed in front of the Sun for approximately four hours, offering skygazers in parts of the Northern Hemisphere a rare celestial spectacle.

The event stretched from eastern Canada to northern Russia, with the potential to be seen across most of Europe and some areas of northeastern North America and northwest Africa, according to France's Paris Observatory.

The eclipse began at 0850 GMT and ended at 1243 GMT. It was a rare occurrence when the Sun, Moon and Earth aligned, but unlike a total solar eclipse, which fully blots out the Sun, this event only partially obscured the Sun. "The Moon will cover at most 90 percent of the Sun in some northern latitudes, turning the Sun's rays into 'cold light,'" said Florent Deleflie, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory.

The maximum obscuration of the Sun was visible at 1047 GMT in northeastern Canada and Greenland. However, for many other regions, including France, only 10 to 30 percent of the Sun’s disc was obscured, depending on the location. "The naked eye will not be able to see any difference," Deleflie stated.

People eager to observe the eclipse were advised to take precautions. Looking directly at the Sun, whether during an eclipse or not, can result in irreversible vision damage. "Using special glasses is one solution," Deleflie explained.

He cautioned that even a slight defect or "microscopic hole" in older glasses could cause eye damage, recommending that people observe the eclipse at local astronomy observation centres.

These centres provided the opportunity to safely observe the celestial mechanics at work and view details of the Sun’s surface, such as sunspots.

Deleflie also noted that the partial eclipse would not be visible on smartphone cameras without an appropriate filter. "The light is so intense that the obscured part won't appear," he added.

This partial solar eclipse was the first of the year and the 17th of the century. It followed a total lunar eclipse, known as the "Blood Moon," which had been witnessed by skygazers two weeks prior.

Looking ahead, a more significant eclipse is expected on August 12, 2026, when a total solar eclipse will be visible across Iceland, northern Spain, and parts of Portugal. More than 90 percent of the Sun will also be obscured in parts of Europe, including Britain, France, and Italy. It will be the first total solar eclipse since one crossed North America in April 2024.