Rare Total Solar Eclipse to Darken Parts of Europe in August
Rare Total Solar Eclipse to Darken Parts of Europe in August – A rare total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of Europe on August 12, with northern Spain set to experience complete darkness as the Moon fully covers the Sun.
It will be the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 2006.
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According to NASA, a total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking sunlight and revealing the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona.
The event is possible because, although the Sun is about 400 times larger than the Moon, it is also about 400 times farther away, making both appear almost the same size from Earth.
The eclipse’s path of totality will cross northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and northeastern Portugal.
In Spain, total darkness will last just under two minutes before sunset. In Burgos, totality is expected to last one minute and 48 seconds.
A partial eclipse will also be visible across much of Europe, Canada, the northern United States and northwest Africa.
Astronomers say another major eclipse will follow on August 2, 2027, crossing southern Spain, northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
The event has been dubbed “the eclipse of the century” because totality is expected to last six minutes and 23 seconds, making it the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century.
Spain is also expected to witness an annular or “ring of fire” solar eclipse on January 26, 2028.
Experts have warned people never to look directly at the Sun without certified eclipse glasses.
They recommend using eye protection that meets the ISO 12312-2:2015 safety standard, warning that permanent eye damage can occur even when no pain is immediately felt.
