Total Solar Eclipse Observed Across Europe and Arctic

Millions of skywatchers across Europe and the Arctic gathered on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, to observe a total solar eclipse as the moon passed between the sun and Earth, casting its shadow across a narrow path of totality. The celestial event, the first total solar eclipse visible from Reykjavik since 1433, drew large crowds to Iceland and northern Spain, though weather conditions proved challenging for many spectators.

The eclipse's path of totality crossed Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, northern Spain, and a small corner of Portugal, according to NASA. Outside that corridor, a partial eclipse was visible across much of Europe, northwestern Africa, and parts of northern North America. In Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, totality lasted about one minute beginning around 5:48 p.m. local time. The longest period of totality, lasting 2 minutes and 18 seconds, occurred just off Iceland's western coast, with the cliffs of Latrabjarg in the country's westernmost region experiencing about 2 minutes and 13 seconds of darkness.

The event attracted thousands of tourists and locals across Iceland, with hotels fully booked and infrastructure at maximum capacity. An estimated...