UK solar eclipse 2015: Londoners underwhelmed by historic event

'Exclusive' time-lapse video shows London sky slightly darkening

(LEON NEAL | AFP | Getty Images)

For once, London was not the centre of the country's attention.

As the moon got sassy with the sun and decided to temporarily block it from view, the best places to witness the eclipse were not in the nation's capital but in the Midlands, the south west and south Wales.

London - so often used to being the belle of the ball - was literally thrown shade by the other parts of the UK.

While the eclipse was partial across most of the country - giving between 80 per cent and 90 per cent coverage - in the capital many Londoners looked up at the sky bemused between 8:30am and 9:30am, the sun clearly not visible, the clouds clearly winning the day.

This time-lapse video, shot from the roof of The Independent's offices, shows how minor the eclipse's effect was: an evident darkening, yes, but brief and unnoticeable, like Zayn Malik's recent stint on tour.

Just like with a tube strike or a dispute over the colour of a dress, Londoners can unite this evening and throughout the weekend about something that has left them underwhelmed and frustrated, as the rest of the country enjoys their moment in the eclipsed spotlight.