HUNDREDS of skygazers were up before dawn and on North Yorkshire's east coast today to witness a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse experience.

Scarborough, Whitby and Filey offered the region's best views of the eclipse, which saw the sun about 90 per cent hidden by the moon.

Scarborough Astronomical Society had organised a special event at the town's Spa complex, with telescopes, a computer screen and a running commentary from president John Harper.

Just after 4.35am the first signs of the sun appeared, a thin red finger reaching up from the horizon.

It quickly rose, shining a beautiful mix of orange and red from behind the clearly defined sphere-like outline of the moon.

A haunting piece of music, titled Awake At The Horns Of Apollo, and specially composed for the eclipse by Scarborough student Matthew Horsfall, played in the background.

Richard Lindley, 33, of Filey, finished his exams yesterday.

"What a way to celebrate. Perfect," he said.

John Harper said he had never seen an eclipse like it before.

He said: "The sun was red for a considerable amount of time. The mist partly obscured it at first, but also helped us look and enjoy the spectacle. This was a never-to-be forgotten experience."

Updated: 09:43 Saturday, May 31, 2003