Solar Eclipse

Beachgoers gather before a total solar eclipse set to begin around sunset, at Puerto de Sagunto beach near Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

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Millions crowd Spanish cities to see country's first total solar eclipse in over a century

Millions crowd Spanish cities to see country's first total solar eclipse in over a century

Millions of people crowded cloudless cities and towns in Spain in search of the best views of a total solar eclipse, when the alignment of the sun, moon and Earth will briefly plunge parts of the planet into darkness. The crowds brought lawn chairs, umbrellas and hats as they eagerly awaited Wednesday's celestial spectacle, which began early in the evening. Across a wide band of northern and central Spain, people expected to have some of mainland Europe’s best views of the eclipse. A sliver of Greenland and Iceland, too, may witness it — weather permitting.