BROTHERS Wilfred and Sylvester Howes captured the feeling of eclipse fever yesterday as the schoolboys skipped class to witness the celestial event.

The Kidlington teens, aged 16 and 13, were among more than 100 people who went to watch the solar show from outside the Said Business School by Oxford Railway Station.

Schoolchildren, their parents, scientists and passers-by on their way to work all stopped to marvel at the rare spectacle. Astrophysicists from Oxford University organised the event and brought along eclipse shades and high-tech telescopes with special solar filters.

But the Howes brothers needed no such fancy equipment to participate in a spot of citizen science.

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The Gosford Hill School pupils made their own pinhole projector out of a cardboard dog food box, a piece of wood and string.

Oxford Mail:

Fraser Clarke, Sandor Kruk, Alexander Pollak and Eile Doran, all Astrophysicists from the University of Oxford, enjoy the solar eclipse. Picture: Lucy Ford.

Wilfred said: “It was definitely worth it – if this happens every 15 years that’s only three or four times in a lifetime.

“It’s amazing you can actually see the moon going across the sun.

It’s been brilliant.”

Sylvester said he enjoyed being able to carry out such a simple science experiment and get a visible result.

Dozens had already gathered when the display started at 8.30am, and by the time the eclipse was at its height, at about 9.30am, the area was nearly full.

Oxford Mail:

This boy is struck by the wonder of it all. Picture: Lucy Ford.

Despite the overcast sky, the clouds parted just enough for watchers to get a few full glimpses.

The air noticeably chilled as the sun’s warming rays were blocked out.

Oxford University astrophysicist Dr Fraser Clarke, who was offering people a look through a speciallyadapted “solarscope” said: “It’s all about showing people some of the exciting stuff that goes on in astronomy.

Seeing a crescent sun is a very emblematic example of that.

We had a really good response.”

Physics department outreach officer Dr Emile Doran said: “It’s great to inspire as many people as possible, especially the younger audience.”

Shelagh Turner, from North Oxford, said: “It was brilliant. I got a look through the telescope and you could see the sun’s rays and everything.

It was really cool. It’s great these guys were here to help otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to see it.”

Oxford Mail:

Indroneel Chatterjee, 24, a research associate at Oxford Brookes University and Face of Oxford 2014, watches the eclipse at the Said Business School.

Phil Jose and Michelle Bosher, from Abingdon, took their son Dan out of school at Fitzharry’s, Abingdon, for the morning for the “extracurricular science lesson”.

Ms Bosher said: “It’s been amazing. I can’t get over it.”

Husband and wife Adrian and Paula Duncan watched the 1999 eclipse together on the Malvern Hills and watched it together again at the Said school yesterday.

Mrs Duncan, 39, said: “I think it’s great that so many people came, especially children.”

The next time a partial eclipse will be visible from the UK will be August 2026.