The once-in-a-generation solar eclipse spanning the UK and Europe dominates Thursday's front pages. The Sun splashes on a striking image of a partial eclipse leaving a crescent sliver peeking out with the playful headline: "The Sun, the Moon." And, yes, it does cheekily employ its own famous masthead as part of the very special effect.

"Once in a generation" is the i Paper's headline as it fills its front page with an image of the Moon completely obscuring the Sun, which was what was seen in parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain.

"Hello darkness my old friend" says Metro, showing the Moon slowly blotting out the Sun as seen in the skies above south London, where a 97% eclipse was witnessed.

"Move over, sunshine" says the Independent, noting that the eclipse brought a "moment of shade" to the ongoing heatwave.

The Daily Mail strikes a similar note, saying the UK "finally gets a break from the sun" during the eclipse, albeit "only for a few minutes". Alongside, the paper's top story says climate campaigners are criticising the government's environment policies for the more than 1,000 wildfires this year.

The Daily Telegraph calls the solar eclipse "the greatest show on Earth", picturing a crowd in Birmingham gazing at the phenomenon along with millions across the UK and Europe. Among its other top stories, the paper says Vladimir Putin has threatened to seize British ships in retaliation for a European crackdown on Russia's shadow fleet. A UK government spokesman says the UK Armed Forces are disrupting harmful activity of shadow fleet vessels and "operate firmly in line with international maritime law".

The Times follows with its own photo of the eclipse seen from Spain, saying it was the most significant eclipse in more than 25 years. In politics news, it reports that the PM's proposals to restrict zero hours contracts could impose costs up to ยฃ3bn a year on businesses.

"Solar eclipse thrills Europe" says the Financial Times. Elsewhere, the paper says Ukraine has halted its drone strikes on oil tankers using a critical Russian port in the Black Sea after a request from US Vice-President JD Vance.

With more on climate, the Guardian reports the PM is promising to tackle "the bigger questions" of climate adaptation, the nurses unions warning that their staff were collapsing during shifts amid conditions caused by extreme heat.

Finally, the Daily Express covers a study that shows taking the stairs instead of the lift could cut your risk of an early death by nearly a quarter. It adds that those who climbed stairs regularly had lower risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks or strokes.

Dramatic images of the eclipse feature on almost all of the front pages. The Daily Telegraph calls, external it "the greatest show on Earth". "Once in a generation" is the headline in the i Paper, external while, for the Daily Express, external, it was "heavenly wonder".  The Daily Mail says, external Britain finally got a break from the Sun, if only for a few minutes.

The front page of the Sun, external shows simply the paper's name in its traditional masthead, style then the thin crescent of light visible during the eclipse, then the words "The Moon". The paper says John Lewis reported a 40% spike in colander sales, as people were able to use them to safely observe the sun's progress. "Unlike eclipse glasses," a spokesperson for the store said, "you can use it to strain your spaghetti for dinner afterwards". The Daily Mirror says, external hundreds of observers gathered in Greenwich Park, and a reveller tells the paper "there were Champagne corks popping" at the peak of the eclipse.

The Guardian leads, external on the warning from the Royal College of Nursing that its members are working in "inhumane" conditions, because of the high temperatures. Its general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger says this should be a "wake-up call" and the paper says Prime Minister Andy Burnham is being pressed to "fully acknowledge" the need to adapt to a changing climate.

The Daily Telegraph reports, external that the prime minister's plans to house asylum seekers in wealthier parts of the country would cost more money than current arrangements. The government tells the paper it seeks to "fairly" house asylum seekers across the UK.

The Times reports, external that the government's own analysis of its plans to restrict zero hours contracts suggests they will drive up costs for businesses by up to three-billion pounds a year.   The government has said it is consulting on the proposals and is committed to giving workers greater income security.

The Financial Times reports, external on tensions in England and Scotland's rural communities where the grouse season began yesterday. Residents have reported deep concerns that the cultivation of heather, used as a plentiful food source to keep the population of birds high, is a health risk because of its flammability in dry conditions. "It's like we're sitting on a petrol station," one tells the paper.

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Daily Telegraph

Financial Times

Guardian

Independent

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