A total solar eclipse, in fact. There hasn't been one that good in the UK since June 29, 1927, and won't be another like it until 2090. Which should last 2 minutes and 10 seconds in southern England! Amazing.
But back to the one I witnessed. I'm sure English readers know which one I refer to. 11 August 1999.
Okay, that was a photo from France, not where I was, but the view I saw was just as beautiful.
I remember that they handed out these awful little paper glasses. Like bad paper 3D glasses, but without the funky red and green [or is it blue?] lenses. No, I didn't use those. I watched the beautiful total eclipse through a welding mask. True story. The parent-we-do-not-mention worked with vehicles a lot growing up, so there were things like that lying around.
I remember the popular breakfast show 'Big Breakfast' focusing on it since the eclipse occurred in the morning, but can recall not a lot more than that. Considering I was 14 years old at the time, you'd think I would remember more. But I don't. Other than seeing that eclipse.
And also the horror stories imagined by my brain. "Don't look directly at it or you'll burn a hole in your eyes!" "Oh no, did I look? Do my eyes still work?"
