Europe Witnessed Total Solar Eclipse
Millions of people gathered in Iceland and northern Spain to witness Europe’s first total solar eclipse in 27 years on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. The eclipse was a significant event, with Spanish officials warning people to avoid areas where a heatwave has raised the risk of wildfires. Authorities were expecting up to 6 million visitors in mostly rural areas within the eclipse’s path across the north of Spain and the Balearic Islands, said Juan Cruz, Spain’s Secretary of State for Science.
The eclipse will be quickly followed by the sunset in Spain, making the event particularly alluring. Police were on standby, with 25,000 officers assigned to guarantee security around the eclipse observation, and nearly 100 planes and helicopters deployed. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska called on citizens to follow the eclipse from the 350 observation points set up by authorities and abide by the restrictions set up around some parks, citing the extreme wildfire risk due to high temperatures.
In Iceland‘s capital Reykjavik, eclipse glasses had been sold out for days as the Nordic country of roughly 400,000 people expected to welcome up to 80,000 visitors. A narrow path of totality reached Iceland’s westernmost coast, with totality lasting up to 2 minutes and 13 seconds in the far west. The US space agency NASA planned to fly a high-altitude WB-57 aircraft from Iceland to follow the moon’s shadow, and NASA-funded teams launched balloons to study the sudden darkness and cooling’s effect on the lower atmosphere.
The Iberian Peninsula last saw a total solar eclipse in 1912 and is set to experience another one on August 2, 2027, and an annular eclipse in January 2028, completing the so-called “Iberian Eclipse Trio.” This event drew not only casual observers but also “eclipse chasers,” enthusiasts who travel the globe to be in the path of totality whenever an eclipse occurs.
The eclipse was a rare astronomical alignment, with the moon passing directly between Earth and the Sun, causing a brief period of twilight and silence among some animals. The event was seen as a chance for Spain to showcase seldom-visited regions and draw tourists away from its overcrowded beach resorts.
The previous total solar eclipse in the Iberian Peninsula occurred in 1912, and the region is expected to experience another total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027, followed by an annular eclipse in January 2028.
