Millions of people across Europe observed a rare solar eclipse on Wednesday, with thousands traveling to prime viewing locations to witness the celestial phenomenon. The eclipse, beginning in Siberia, traversed Alaska before reaching Greenland and sweeping across Europe.
In Greenland, passengers aboard the MS Spitsbergen anticipated the brief period of darkness. Captain Sverre Rud adjusted the ship's position in Rypefjord to offer his 126 passengers the best possible view. For those on cruises north of the Arctic Circle, where 24-hour daylight is common, the eclipse offered a dramatic two-minute interlude of darkness.
Iceland experienced a total solar eclipse around 5 p.m. local time, a spectacle not seen in Reykjavik since 1433. Hotel rooms in the capital city surged to over $1,000 per night, with authorities anticipating up to 20,000 additional international visitors during the peak tourist season. The Hotel Keflavík, with 70 rooms, was fully booked by guests hoping to see the approximately one minute and 45 seconds of totality.
Spain was a focal point for eclipse watchers, as the country's first solar eclipse in over a century crossed its path. Tourists gathered in villages and along the northern Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean Sea. The Spanish government projected that the more than 446,000 extra tourists drawn by the eclipse could contribute approximately €347 million to the economy. Demand for hotel rooms in cities like A Coruña, Bilbao, and Santiago de Compostela saw a significant increase. The Interior Ministry mobilized nearly 25,000 police officers to manage the event and designated 350 official viewing sites, while restricting access to 123 others due to environmental concerns.
Spectators gathered in various European cities, including Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where a partial eclipse was visible. In A Coruña, Spain, families and individuals assembled on beaches to watch the event before sunset. Similar scenes unfolded in Tarragona, Spain, where eager attendees prepared their viewing equipment.
While Iceland, Spain, and Portugal experienced totality, other regions like Finland, Sweden, and Denmark saw partial eclipses. In much of western Europe, including the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and northern Italy, the setting sun limited visibility, resulting in only partial views of the eclipse.
Looking ahead, another total solar eclipse is predicted to cross southern Spain and northern Africa in August 2027, followed by an annular eclipse over the Iberian Peninsula in 2028.