Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Millions Witness Spain's First Total Solar Eclipse in a Century
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon moves right in front of the sun and blocks its light.
On Wednesday evening, it got dark for a few minutes in parts of Spain, Portugal, Iceland, and even Greenland.
It was Spain's first total solar eclipse in more than 100 years, so millions of people came to watch.
People wore special eclipse glasses to protect their eyes from the bright sun.
It rained and was cloudy in much of Iceland, so many people there could only see the sky turn dark.
Some people on a cruise ship near Greenland saw two minutes of darkness even though they usually have 24 hours of daylight.
Spain set up about 350 special viewing spots and sent many police officers to help keep people safe.
Hotel rooms in Iceland's capital cost more than $1,000 that night because so many visitors arrived.
Many watchers were amazed — one woman said no photo or video came close to the real thing.
A young woman who just had a birthday called the eclipse a 'birthday present from the universe.'
Millions gathered across northern and central Spain, Portugal, and Iceland on Wednesday evening for a total solar eclipse — Spain's first in over a century and Western Europe's first in 27 years.
Totality lasted up to 2 minutes and 13 seconds off Iceland's west coast but shrank to about a minute over Portugal and Spain before sunset, ending over the Mediterranean.
Spain set up about 350 official viewing sites and deployed tens of thousands of officers — one report said more than 33,500, another 25,000 plus nearly 100 planes and helicopters — with temperatures above 35°C (95°F).
Authorities expected at least half a million additional visitors in Spain (one report said up to 6 million), while Iceland welcomed up to 80,000 visitors for its first total eclipse since 1954.
Cloudy skies obscured views in much of Iceland, though crowds at Reykjavik's Hallgrimskirkja church cheered the darkness, and in Britain, where the sun was over 90% obscured, viewers gathered in Greenwich Park.
- Who
- Millions of spectators in Spain and Iceland — tourists, eclipse chasers, locals, and former Queen guitarist Brian May — watched the event.
- What
- A total solar eclipse in which the moon passed directly between Earth and the sun, briefly plunging parts of Spain, Portugal, Iceland, and Greenland into darkness.
- When
- Wednesday evening; totality reached Iceland's far west at about 5:44 p.m. GMT (1744 GMT) and occurred in Spain just after 8:30 p.m. local time (1830 GMT).
- Where
- A wide band across northern and central Spain, Portugal, Iceland (especially Reykjavik and the far west), and slivers of Greenland; the eclipse ended over the Mediterranean.
- Why
- The rare alignment of the sun, moon, and Earth — Spain's first total solar eclipse in more than a century and Western Europe's first in 27 years — drew huge crowds.
- Event
- Total solar eclipse (sun, moon, and Earth alignment)
- Spain's last total eclipse
- 1912; next due August 2, 2027
- Iceland's last total eclipse
- 1954; first visible from Reykjavik since 1433
- Maximum totality
- Up to 2 minutes 13 seconds off Iceland's west coast; about a minute in Spain
- Official viewing sites (Spain)
- About 350
- Law enforcement deployed (Spain)
- More than 33,500 per one report; 25,000 plus nearly 100 planes and helicopters per another
- Reykjavik hotel prices
- Averaged over $1,000 for eclipse night, roughly double 2025 rates
- Visitor estimates
- Spain: 500,000 to 6 million; Iceland: up to 80,000 (one report said up to 20,000 overseas visitors)
