Builder with own observatory captures solar eclipse

A builder who created an observatory in his back garden has said capturing and livestreaming the solar eclipse was "fantastic".

Simon Wallace became an avid follower of online astrophotographers while he was off work during Covid and now has a fully-automated rig at his home near Stowmarket, Suffolk.

On Wednesday, he spent hours setting up his mobile gear in a rural spot with a clear view of the horizon so he could livestream the eclipse to his followers on YouTube.

"I've not seen one like that before - I saw one in March last year, but it wasn't as much of an eclipse as this, so for me it was really quite special," he told Radio Suffolk.

"It's just an incredible thing to see - it doesn't happen very often and it's something everyone can enjoy.

"Even the weather played ball, we didn't have any clouds, it was fantastic."

Wallace said he had always been a keen photographer and had been on a learning curve with the tech involved in capturing outer space, including galaxies and nebula.

"Before I knew it I built observatory and every clear night I have to take images, it's the unwritten astrophotographers' law.

"I tend to spend several nights on one object, and get as much data as a I can - it's quite a truncated process."

Wallace had livestreamed the partial solar eclipse from his back garden in March 2025, when the moon blocked 30 to 40% of the sun.

Wednesday's event has been described as the best solar eclipse in the UK since 1999, with more than 90% of the sun being covered by the moon at its peak shortly after 19:00 BST.

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