Synopsis

On the 11th of August at 11 minutes past 11am, almost total darkness fell across Southern England and an eerie silence descended as the population gazed skyward at what was the last total solar eclipse of this millennium. A total solar eclipse is a breathtaking event and this documentary programme conveys that awesome feeling by exploring how and why eclipses happen. A mixture of computer-generated views from outer space, footage of eclipses throughout the 20th century (some taken as early as 1927) and original footage taken of this year's total solar eclipse (shot in Cornwall) make this programme a celebration of eclipse mania.