The moment Sussex was plunged into darkness in total eclipse

People across Brighton and Sussex were dazzled at 11.20am on August 11, 1999, as the moon passed over the sun and plunged the county into darkness.

An estimated 10,000 skygazers flocked to Brighton beach to watch the event, which saw the temperature plummet as the sun was blotted out.

A mass of confused seagulls, thinking night was falling, flew out to sea as the eclipse peaked, while spectators donned special protective eyewear to watch the eclipse.

Crowds gathered on Brighton beach to watch the total eclipse (Image: The Argus)

The centre of Brighton came to a halt as people stopped to view the event, with shops and cafes emptying as staff and customers crowded into the forecourt of Churchill Square.

Despite torrential downpours just days before, which brought as much as a foot of rain in a single night in Brighton, many were rewarded with a clear view of the eclipse. 

However, some were unable to buy the necessary special glasses and resorted to training an image of the sun onto a piece of paper instead.

Some were so concerned for their safety that they opted not to venture outside for the celestial experience.

George Wells, owner of The Beach cafe, told The Argus at the time: “There’s so much conflicting advice I’m not even going to go outside. I’ll watch it on TV tonight.”

At Beachy Head, hundreds lined the cliff top to stare out to watch as the eclipse’s shadow swept across the coast.

Great-grandmother Eleanor Adams, 83, from Eastbourne, was a 12-year-old girl in Wales when the previous total eclipse passed over the UK in 1927.

She said: “When I was a little girl watching it with my parents, I never thought I would see anything like it again.”

The total eclipse, as seen from the top of Mount Harry on the outskirts of Lewes (Image: The Argus)

At Ditchling Beacon, cars clogged the roads as people flocked to watch the total eclipse from the South Downs, while others ventured up Mount Harry on the outskirts of Lewes for a clear view of the event.

Crowds also gathered in Worthing to watch the spectacle.

Maureen Edwards, who was on a day trip from London, said: “It was absolutely amazing. Everything seemed so sharp and vivid. The sea and the buildings stood out so sharply against the sky.”

Meanwhile, at the Hertstmonceux Science Centre, crowds of around 650 people gathered to watch the eclipse as it was projected onto large screens by a telescope.

As many as 650 people gathered at Herstmonceux Science Centre to watch the eclipse projected onto large screens by a telescope (Image: The Argus)

The eclipse did not affect Gatwick flights, but the runway lights were switched on for a short time as the south coast was plunged into darkness.

The eclipse was one of the most viewed in human history, with as many as two billion people watching as the event passed over most of Europe, the Middle East and a large swathe of India.

The next total eclipse to be visible from the UK isn’t expected until September 23, 2090, when the coast of Sussex running west to Hastings will experience 100 per cent totality for more than two minutes.

However, for those not wanting to wait that long to see an eclipse in Brighton, a partial eclipse will take place on March 29, 2025, at around 11am.