A sense of great excitement was felt at Monmouth School as boys gathered to witness a rare moment in astronomical history.

Around 300 pupils, staff and members of the public came together on the School’s lawn to see the near-total solar eclipse this morning. It has been 16 years since the total eclipse in 1999, which was before many of the boys were born.

Dr Keith Moseley, Head of Physics at Monmouth School, also runs the local astronomy club. He ensured the significant moment was a truly memorable occasion for the boys by setting up four telescopes to track the partial eclipse.

Imaginations were sparked and the boys came up with inventive ways to safely watch the sky.

Ben, a Form I pupil, made his own specs – complete with nose guard – using cereal packets and a special filter from Germany which Dr Moseley had ordered for him.

A keen member of the astronomy club, Ben had all the senior boys queuing up to borrow his homemade glasses.

The generous 11-year-old was thrilled to give everyone the chance to catch the eclipse.

And it became a case of the Land of the Rising Sun meets the Land of the Partial Eclipse as our Japanese exchange students also joined in the fun.

As the moon crossed over the sun, an eerie atmosphere fell over the lawn and the temperature dropped, adding to the magic of the morning.