Day briefly turned into night across parts of Spain on Wednesday as the country witnessed its first total solar eclipse in more than a century.
The rare astronomical spectacle plunged large areas into darkness as the Moon completely covered the Sun, leaving only the Sun’s outer corona visible around the edges.
Huge crowds gathered across the eclipse path to witness the phenomenon, with cheers and amazement reported as the sky darkened.
The eclipse had first appeared in the Arctic region of northern Russia about 90 minutes earlier before moving across Greenland, Iceland and the Atlantic Ocean before reaching Spain.
“Incredible… I almost burst into tears. I got chills all over my body,” Alejandro Cuesta, a 30-year-old nanoscience researcher, said while describing the experience.
Although the total eclipse lasted barely two minutes in most locations, it captivated spectators across a wide stretch of Spanish territory, from Galicia to the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands.
The event was regarded as one of nature’s most spectacular displays, attracting large crowds of astronomy enthusiasts, tourists and residents eager to witness the rare occurrence.
The brief period of darkness transformed the daytime landscape, with the sudden change in light creating an eerie atmosphere as the Moon passed directly between the Earth and the Sun.
For many spectators, the event marked a once-in-a-lifetime experience, given the rarity of a total solar eclipse occurring over populated areas.
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