Dr Chris Riley says witnessing the 1999 total solar eclipse from Alderney was a life-changing experience that led him to become a part-time eclipse chaser. The event mattered both as a memorable scientific spectacle and as a major BBC broadcast, bringing the phenomenon to millions of viewers.

Riley had originally expected to watch from Cornwall but was sent to Alderney, the final location in the British Isles to see totality, where he joined broadcaster Jamie Theakston and 250 astronomers. He described seeing darkness sweep across the water at about 2,000 miles per hour and has since travelled to eclipses in Zambia, the Faroe Islands and the United States, while preparing for one in Spain.