In Photos: Total solar eclipse plunges parts of Europe into darkness

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 (Source: Photo by AP)

The event marked the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999—a gap of 27 years (Source: Photo by AP)

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 (Source: Photo by AP)

During totality, the sky can become almost completely dark, with temperatures dropping and stars becoming visible as the sun is briefly blocked by the moon (Source: Photo by AP)

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 (Source: Photo by AP)

Social media feeds lit up with videos and photos of the total solar eclipse (Source: Photo by AP)

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 (Source: Photo by AP)

The movement casts a huge shadow on parts of the Earth. There are four types of solar eclipses: total, annular, hybrid, and partial (Source: Photo by AP)