Belgium experienced its most complete solar eclipse in decades on Wednesday evening, and thousands of residents went outside to witness the spectacle.
Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, temporarily blocking all or part of the sun from view — often resulting in beautiful images.
The Brussels Times asked readers to send us their pictures of the eclipse on Wednesday night and show us what the celestial event looked like from where they were watching.
For many, the event was also an excuse to stop what they were doing, head outside and look up.
Some watched from home, others travelled to spots with a clearer horizon (and some even to another country), armed with eclipse glasses, cameras and phones.
Around 20:00 in Forest Park. Credit: The Brussels Times/Isabella Vivian.
Our first picture is breathtakingly beautiful, taken by Michiel Waeben through a telescope in Diepenbeek in Limburg.
Credit: Michiel Waeben
The next one was taken by Daan Bergmans, a Belgian who made the trek to Zaragoza in the north of Spain to get a clear view the total solar eclipse.
Credit: Daan Bergmans.
This one was taken by Nicolaus Usry; he took the photograph from YUST Antwerp hotel's rooftop
Credit: Nicolaus Usry.
This one was sent to us by Dominik Bach in Etterbeek, with a stunning resolution!
Credit: Dominik bach.
"Undercut view of the eclipse. A true camera obscura phenomenon of the sun shining through leaves," wrote Kuba Mazur, who took the picture in Opwijk (Flemish Brabant), to The Brussels Times.
Credit: Kuba Mazur.
This one was taken by Lily Bernal from The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels.
Credit: Lily Bernal.
This one was taken by Dries Mockers from Godsheide, a village in the north-eastern corner of the Belgian city of Hasselt.
Credit: Dries Mockers.
This one was sent to us by Arthav Mahajan, who took the picture in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels.
Credit: Arthav Mahajan.
"I was super excited about this eclipse as I had never seen one before in my life. I got eclipse glasses and also saw a helioscope for phones, so I gave it a try. I used my phone, which has a pretty decent camera and a telescopic zoom option. I attached the helioscope to the back of my camera and was able to take some nice photos from my attic at home," wrote Prekshit Suthar, who took the picture in Brussels.
Credit: Prekshit Suthar.
Another one was taken by Wouter Schuuring from Place du Congrès in Brussels.
Credit: Wouter Schuuring.
Bjorn Goethals took this picture from Moerbeke-Waas in rural East Flanders.
Credit: Bjorn Goethals.
Eclipse's totality was around 20:31 in Segovia, Spain, where our reader Timea Turani took her shot from.
Credit: Timea Turani.
And this one was sent to us by Reine Kellens, who took the picture from Helchteren in Limburg.
Credit: Reine Kellens.
Mohammed Hammou sent us a picture of the multiple phases of the Eclipse from Boulevard Louis Mettewie in Brussels.
Credit: Mohammed Hammou.
