Total Solar Eclipse Visible Across Europe and North Atlantic

Millions of people across Europe and the North Atlantic witnessed a total solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, as the moon's shadow swept across a path stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. The celestial event, the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe in two decades, drew massive crowds to cities and towns across the Iberian Peninsula, while observers in Iceland, Greenland, and parts of France also experienced the rare phenomenon. In the United Kingdom, the eclipse was a deep partial event, with the moon obscuring more than 90 percent of the sun at its peak, marking the most significant solar eclipse visible from the country since 1999.

The eclipse's path of totality began over the Arctic Ocean, crossed eastern Greenland, and passed over Iceland's west coast before moving across the northwest coast of Spain. It then traversed the Iberian Peninsula, passing over the Balearic Islands at sunset. In Spain, the event was a major spectacle, with officials estimating that up to 6 million people visited rural zones along the path. Cities like Medinaceli, a hilltop town in northeast Spain, were packed with sky watchers who secured viewing...