With millions expected to gather for Europe’s first total solar eclipse in 27 years on Wednesday evening, Spanish authorities introduced special safety measures amid an ongoing heat wave. State Secretary for Science Juan Cruz said authorities expected up to six million visitors, primarily in rural areas of northern Spain and on the Balearic Islands.
The eclipse was particularly striking in Spain because it was followed almost immediately by sunset.
With temperatures extremely high and the risk of wildfires elevated, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said 25,000 police officers had been assigned to provide security, while nearly 100 planes and helicopters were also being deployed. Visitors were strongly urged to watch the eclipse only from hundreds of designated viewing sites and to observe restrictions around some parks.
Iceland Goes Dark for Two Minutes
The Iberian Peninsula last experienced a total solar eclipse in 1912, and Wednesday’s event marked the beginning of the so-called Iberian Eclipse Trio. The next total eclipse will occur on 2 August 2027, followed by an annular eclipse in January 2028.
In Iceland, which has a population of around 400,000, up to 80,000 visitors were expected, while special eclipse glasses had sold out in Reykjavík several days before the event.
The narrow path of totality crossed Iceland’s west coast at around 5:44 p.m. GMT, with total darkness lasting up to two minutes and 13 seconds in the westernmost areas.
The US space agency NASA also took advantage of the rare phenomenon, dispatching a WB-57 aircraft from Iceland to track the moon’s shadow and launching research balloons to measure the effects of the sudden darkness and cooling on the lower atmosphere.
(Reuters, Max)