Europe's Skies Darken: First Total Solar Eclipse in Spain in Over a Century Draws Millions

Millions across Europe witnessed the first total solar eclipse in Spain in over a century, with totality visible from Spain to Iceland and partial darkness across western Europe.

This article was drafted with AI assistance from multiple sources and was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication.

Millions of people across Europe turned their eyes skyward on Wednesday as the first total solar eclipse in Spain in more than a century swept across the continent. The path of totality stretched from near the North Pole to Greenland, western Iceland, and northern Spain, where the moon completely blocked the sun for roughly 90 seconds. In Spain, the eclipse crossed a swath of about 200 kilometers from A Coruña to Mallorca, with a small strip of Portugal and parts of Greenland and Iceland also experiencing totality.

An estimated 6 million people were expected to flock to the eclipse path on Wednesday, with around 460,000 traveling to Spain for the event. More than 300,000 were expected to head to rural towns and villages, where hotels reported bookings made months in advance from as far away as Japan and the United States. Spanish officials prepared for up to 1.5 million additional car journeys and deployed more than 24,000 police officers to manage the crowds. Weather alerts warned of temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius and a high risk of wildfires.

For those outside the path of totality, a partial eclipse was visible across western Europe, including the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and northern Italy. In London, the partial eclipse began at 18:17 BST, reached its maximum at 19:12 BST, and ended at 20:06 BST, according to the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Coverage ranged up to 90 percent in parts of Europe, while northeastern US and Canada saw only 10 to 25 percent.

NASA scientists captured images during a special eclipse livestream from Spain, including a solar prominence and the Baily's Beads and diamond ring effects that occur at the edges of totality. Iberia airline planned to share live images from a charter flight at 10,000 meters above sea level. In Spain, most opticians and pharmacies sold out of eclipse glasses, and experts warned that looking at the sun with the naked eye or sunglasses is unsafe.

Eclipse chasers traveled from around the world to witness the event. Angela Jones Rieksts, from Halifax, Canada, who saw her first eclipse in Miramichi two years ago, said, "I was just absolutely awestruck." She added, "It felt almost like God's eye was staring back at me from heaven," and "When it was over, I said to myself, 'I have to see this again'."

Stéphanie Racco, who traveled from the Côte d'Azur with her eight-year-old twins to Salou, said, "I read the news around December," and "OK, I have to go." She explained, "Because the last eclipse I saw was in 1999, north of Paris. And it was fantastic and something I want to share with my kids." Racco noted, "I think I'm the only one in this hotel who has come just for the eclipse," and worried about clouds, saying, "Salou could be a good spot, but I'm not sure because I'm seeing a lot of clouds." She added, "I just saw that next year, there will be one in Egypt. So maybe if I miss this one, I'll try again next year."

Astronomer César González of the Madrid Planetarium called the event "spectacular," saying, "A total solar eclipse is one of the best spectacles in nature," and "There are no words to describe it to another person who has never felt or seen a total solar eclipse." González planned to drive north towards Burgos and find an isolated field to observe.

Beyond the eclipse, astronomy enthusiasts have more to look forward to: the Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight with up to 75 shooting stars per hour, a deep partial lunar eclipse occurs on August 27-28, and the longest total solar eclipse of the century will be visible from southern Spain and northern Africa on August 2, 2027.