Journalism of Courage
In videos: Europe’s 1st total solar eclipse in 27 years
The eclipse unfolded over several hours as the Moon aligned between Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow over Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain, and a part of Portugal.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun either fully or partially (Photo: @danny_leon/Instagram)
A total solar eclipse swept across parts of the Northern Hemisphere on Wednesday, briefly plunging the skies into darkness, offering millions a rare celestial spectacle. The event marked the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999—a gap of 27 years.
The eclipse unfolded over several hours as the Moon aligned between Earth and the Sun, casting its narrow shadow over Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain, and a small part of Portugal. While observers along the path of totality saw the Sun completely obscured, people across much of Europe, northwestern Africa, and parts of northeastern North America witnessed a partial eclipse.
Total solar eclipse as viewed in Spain (Photo: @theibizaconciergeservices/Instagram)
Danny Leon skates through total solar eclipse in Spain
Social media feeds lit up with videos and photos of the total solar eclipse. One of the clips that stood out featured Olympic skater Danny Leon, where he timed a stunning photo of himself mid-skate, framed against the moment the Moon moved between Earth and the Sun.
View this post on Instagram
The video has since gone viral, drawing a wave of reactions and over four million likes. “Bro you making a historic shot and the rest of the world was queuing for the glasses,” a user wrote. “Perfect timing in the universe!” another user commented.
“Possibly the best thing I’ve seen in the history of this platform (Instagram),” a third user reacted.
Another video shows scenes from a beach in Ibiza. The video shows thousands of observers gathered on a beach, holding their phones to capture the eclipse. Soon, the sky turns dark as the eclipse unfolds.
View this post on Instagram
A video from Spain caught attention, amassing nearly five million views. The clip captures the rare eclipse over the city of Tarragona.
Spain just went dark in the middle of the day.
Total solar eclipse. Absolutely unreal. 🌑🇪🇸
Tarragona, Spain 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/5jSn5LChmP
— Dylan K (@MightyDylanK) August 12, 2026
Watch more videos:
🌒Así hemos vivido el #eclipse desde la torre de la Catedral de Segovia pic.twitter.com/1jN9LTxJhr
— Catedral de Segovia (@catedralsegovia) August 12, 2026
L’éclipse depuis l’Espagne, là c’est magnifique par contre 🤩#Eclipse pic.twitter.com/aWVFAbtkme
— Bleu Blanc Rouge ! 🇫🇷 (@LBleuBlancRouge) August 12, 2026
From Spain, images of the eclipse are absolutely gorgeous #eclipse pic.twitter.com/fWKdLF7thm
— Andi B&W Ⓜ️ (@andiblue211) August 12, 2026
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse is a celestial event that occurs when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun either fully or partially. The movement casts a huge shadow on parts of the Earth. There are four types of solar eclipses: total, annular, hybrid, and partial.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Advertisement
Live Blog
Advertisement