Somerset photographer hopes to capture total solar eclipse

A West photographer has travelled to the United States to experience a rare total solar eclipse.

Josh Dury, from Somerset, is an astrophotographer and will watch the eclipse in Dallas on Monday.

This upcoming astronomical phenomenon is expected to be the only one for two decades.

Mr Dury is hoping to get some “diamond ring” images during his trip.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Sun is entirely covered by the Moon, save for a visible ring of light in the sky.

Mr Dury said: “Astronomers are getting very excited…It’s armageddon. It’s the best way I can describe it.

“When you see these details like the light levels, you do feel like the end of the world.

“The temperature drops by 10 degrees, nocturnal wildlife comes alive and then you just see a black orb in the sky and this beautiful glow from the corona – it’s just awe-inspiring.”

According to Nasa, the total solar eclipse will span anywhere from one minute to four and a half minutes.

Mr Dury admitted his trip is a “bit of a gamble” however, telling BBC Radio Bristol the state of Texas has declared a state of emergency amid the phenomenon, with worries over transit and even food supply.

“I was only two in 1999… I was talking to my parents about it and they had this one photo from 1999… I was looking at this image thinking ‘I actually remember that’.

“Such a captivating celestial event, a solar eclipse, it does inspire you,” he told BBC Radio Bristol.

“I think one of the reasons I became an astrophotographer was the 1999 eclipse – all these things come together.”

Explaining how to see the total solar eclipse from the UK, Mr Dury explained the further west you are, the better chance you have of seeing a “nice bite being taken out the sun”.