Viewers across Spain enthusiastically watched the rare total solar eclipse, which swept over the northern part of the country on Wednesday evening, plunging it into darkness. Some people removed their protective glasses and stood up simultaneously.
Viewers across Spain enthusiastically watched the rare total solar eclipse, which swept over the northern part of the country on Wednesday evening, plunging it into darkness. Some people removed their protective glasses and stood up simultaneously.
A large police unit was deployed in Spain to ensure safety, and special observation points were organized in rural areas offering the best views of the spectacle.
In Buitargo de Losoya, a rural area north of Madrid, observers applauded and cheered as the sky darkened, and the 'Bailey's beads'—bright spots of sunlight shimmering around the edge of the Moon during the total eclipse—lit up the horizon shortly after 20:30 GMT. This moment lasted only about a minute.
Economist Diego Fernandez, 32, noted: 'It is impressive how the colors gradually return after the full phase begins—first red, then blue—it completely tricks the brain, just like at sunrise and sunset.' Rafael Jimenez, 50, a resident of Madrid, described the event as something out of science fiction. He said: 'It was an absurd scene; we even got wet when the garden sprinklers turned on. And then, just like that, we were watching the sunset again.'
The moment of the eclipse in Spain followed shortly after a less spectacular event that occurred over most of cloudy Iceland. However, thanks to clearing skies in the westernmost region of this Scandinavian country, tourists and locals were able to see the celestial phenomenon. In Reykjavik, the capital, the eclipse was hidden by clouds, but the darkness of the full phase was still evident.
Lawyer Eduardo Ortiz, 33, told Reuters in the Icelandic capital: 'It felt as if a whole day had arrived at once, and I got goosebumps because it made us think about... the brevity of life, about how time can be different and depends on your point of view.'
Millions of people gathered in Iceland and northern Spain to witness the first total solar eclipse in Western Europe in 27 years. Among them was Brian May, former guitarist of the rock band Queen. He traveled to an observatory in the province of Teruel in Spain and documented his experience on his Instagram page.
Authorities in Spain expected up to six million visitors in the main rural areas along the eclipse path in northern Spain and the Balearic Islands.
The Iberian Peninsula last saw a total solar eclipse in 1912, but the next one is expected on August 2, 2027, followed by a ring eclipse in January 2028, completing the so-called 'Iberian Eclipse Triad.'
The unusual sensation of the day briefly turning into twilight, some animals falling silent, and the Moon passing directly between the Earth and the Sun, has often been viewed throughout history as an omen of cosmic struggle or a sign of divine power.
For Spain, this event became an opportunity to showcase its less visited regions and attract tourists away from overcrowded beach resorts. According to local newspaper reports, some took advantage of this opportunity to hold weddings.
The eclipse occurred during a period of heightened risk of forest fires in the country, leading emergency services to combat various blazes on Wednesday, including a major fire in the southern region of Andalusia. Authorities launched a large-scale police operation and public safety campaign to ensure that crowds would not provoke wildfires.
Local authorities reported that a small fire broke out near one of the eclipse viewing points in the city of Peníscola, in the Valencian Community. It started in a vehicle and spread to 33 others before firefighters brought it under control. Emergency crews, including aircraft, were dispatched to the disaster zone.
Authorities deployed 25,000 police officers to secure the areas around the eclipse viewing sites and utilized nearly 100 planes and helicopters. By the end of Wednesday, no wildfires related to eclipse chasers had been reported.
In Reykjavik, glasses allowing viewers to safely observe the phenomenon sold out within days, as the population of about 400,000 people hosted up to 80,000 visitors. The full phase reached the westernmost coast of Iceland around 17:44 GMT, plunging the far west of the island nation into complete darkness for up to 2 minutes and 13 seconds.
This event attracted both casual observers and 'eclipse chasers'—enthusiasts who travel worldwide to be in the path of an eclipse, wherever it occurs.
In Spain, 43-year-old Gemma, who did not give her surname, said while leaving the viewing point in Buitargo de Losoya: 'Everyone tells you about it, but it is more beautiful than you imagine.'
The recent solar eclipse, which could be called unique for a generation, attracted the attention of millions of people in Europe and the UK, becoming the most dramatic in almost three decades.
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In the Uzbekistan Art Gallery, an exhibition dedicated to the work of the Georgian and Russian sculptor-monumentalist Zurab Tsereteli will take place in October. The exposition, titled 'More Than Life,' will be available for viewing in Tashkent from October 1 to December 1, 2026.
The project is implemented with the support of the Russian Academy of Arts and will present various stages of the artist's creativity. Visitors will be able to examine a wide range of works, including painting, sculptures, volumetric enamels, reliefs, and silk screens, demonstrating the diversity of Tsereteli's artistic heritage.
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The artist passed away last April, having lived a long life—he was 91 years old.
