As the new moon passed in front of the sun in the early morning hours of March 20, a solar eclipse could be seen across Europe. Only two places, Denmark’s Faroe Islands and the Svalbard Archipelago in the Arctic, held the promise of the total eclipse — which lasted less than three minutes — but clouds and not-so-great weather hampered the view in at least one of these locales.

“There was in the Faroe Islands,” The Guardian reported. “An estimated 8,000 people turned up in the capital, Torshavn.” Yet rain and winds meant clouds covering the very sight the crowds came out to see.

In Svalbard, however, excellent conditions gave gazers . “A clear sky over the Arctic islands offered a full view of the sun’s corona,” the Associated Press noted, “a faint ring of rays surrounding the moon that is only visible during a total eclipse.”

During the few minutes of the total solar eclipse, it actually does get dark, some places more so than others. Across the United Kingdom the eclipse covered more than 80 percent of the sun.

Researchers from the University of Reading’s meteorology department decided to use the eclipse as a chance to study the , asking citizen scientists to submit observations about temperature, cloud cover and wind speed and direction. “By observing what happens on Friday,” the university’s Giles Harrison told the BBC, “we are effectively turning the skies of Britain into a , giving us a rare chance to see what happens when you ‘turn down the sun.’”

If you missed the event yourself, check out the slideshow above for some amazing pictures, no pinhole projector required.

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