Spain witnessed its first total solar eclipse in more than a century on Wednesday, as the country was briefly plunged into eerie darkness. The eclipse, which first appeared in the remote Arctic region of northern Russia, moved diagonally across Spain from the northern coast to the Balearic Islands. Huge crowds gathered to watch the phenomenon, with many expressing awe and wonder at the sight.
The spectral glow of the Sun's outer corona, shimmering out of the edges of the shadowy Moon, drew gasps and cheers from spectators. Isabel Troyano, a 56-year-old homemaker, said it was a sight she never imagined seeing. Alejandro Cuesta, a 30-year-old nanoscience researcher, described the experience as 'incredible... I almost burst into tears. I got chills all over my body.'
The eclipse, the first in mainland Europe since 2006, cast its shadow through parts of Greenland, Iceland, and the Atlantic Ocean before reaching Spain. Supplies of special viewing glasses were in high demand, as a partial eclipse was visible across Europe, as well as in Canada, the northern United States, and northwest Africa.
The event, livestreamed by NASA and the European Space Agency, provided scientists with a rare opportunity to study the Sun's atmosphere. The shadow or 'umbra' cast by the alignment of Sun and Moon creates a strange twilight, with temperatures dropping and shadows appearing at strange angles. The phenomenon is fleeting, lasting just minutes, with the lunar shadow moving across the Earth at 3,430 kilometres per hour.
Eclipse fever had gripped Spain, with government predictions that nearly 450,000 extra tourists could bring a 347-million-euro boost to the economy. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said nearly 25,000 police officers had been mobilised to ensure the event went off without a hitch. Another total eclipse will cross southern Spain and northern Africa in August 2027, while an annular eclipse is due to visit the Iberian Peninsula in 2028.
