A total solar eclipse swept across parts of Europe on Wednesday, drawing crowds of skywatchers to Spain, Iceland and Greenland for the continent’s first such spectacle since 1999.
The path of totality crossed northern Spain from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean, passing over cities including A Coruña, Zaragoza and Valencia before continuing across the Balearic Islands. It marked the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Spain since 1905.
Roughly 15 million people lived within the path of totality, while hundreds of millions more across Europe, North Africa and parts of North America witnessed a partial eclipse. More than 90% of the sun was obscured in Ireland, Britain, Portugal, France, Italy and the Balkans.
Crowds gathered in public squares across the continent to watch, including in London’s Trafalgar Square, where a partial eclipse was visible. In Germany, Poland and elsewhere, spectators used pinhole projectors and eclipse glasses to view the event safely.
The eclipse began over Spain around 1730 GMT, with totality following roughly an hour later as the sun neared the horizon. Astronomers noted the timing coincided with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, offering skywatchers the rare chance to catch a meteor streak across the sky during totality itself.
The next total solar eclipse visible from Europe is expected on Aug. 2, 2027, when the path of totality will cross southern Spain, North Africa and the Middle East.
