If you just so happened to look up at the sun at around noon yesterday, you would’ve been shocked to see a substantial chunk of it missing.

This was all thanks to a stunning astronomical phenomenon known as a partial solar eclipse.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is positioned between Earth and the sun, thus casting a shadow over Earth and fully covering the sun.

In yesterday’s case, the solar eclipse was partial, meaning that only a part of the sun was hidden behind the moon.

The eclipse was visible from the Maltese islands between 11:40am and 1:24pm, although it reached its peak at 12:32pm.

Didn’t manage to catch this phenomenon?

Worry not! A handful of astronomy-loving photographers around the island made it a point to capture this phenomenon in all its glory, and it’s safe to say that the results are nothing short of outstanding.

Local photographer Earl Mallia and his Canon 80D camera captured a crystal-clear image of the partial solar eclipse. Earl noted that the photo was shot at around 12:33pm – just as the eclipse reached its peak.

The Maltese Islands Weather Facebook page, on the other hand, went ahead and shared its own set of images of this astronomical spectacle. The series shows the eclipse at different stages, up until it reached its peak.

“This is a sequence of today’s partial solar eclipse. The larger picture shows the partial solar eclipse at its maximum point, reached at 12:32pm. The next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the Maltese islands will take place in August 2027,” the page wrote.

Lastly, a certain Christopher Saliba also shared his shot of the eclipse. Explaining his process, Christopher said that the image was shot “through a welding visor”, presumably for safety purposes. This picture was taken at 12:45pm, a few minutes after the eclipse reached its peak.

Did you manage to spot yesterday’s eclipse?

Maltese Islands Weather / Facebook, Christopher Saliba / Facebook