Read at 3 different speeds

Celestial drama viewed by millions - 24th August 2026

Millions tilted their heads towards the heavens on 12th August as one of the universe's greatest displays played out between the moon and the sun.

As the moon obscured the light of the sun, areas of Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain and the Balearic Islands which fell within the eclipse's path of totality were plunged into darkness for around two minutes. It's caused by the umbra - the moon's darkest shadow aligned with the angle of the sun - traversing the Earth.

This celestial drama lived up to expectations according to Matt McMullan, an American visitor to Iceland who'd crossed the ocean to witness it unfold.

Matt McMullan: "It was pretty incredible. I mean, just to see that natural spectacle. Goes from day to night back to day within a few minutes. I mean, it's, it's wild. It's worth the trip."

The moon cast a weaker, penumbral shadow over a wider stretch of Europe to North Africa, giving skies a dramatic silver twilight hue, as a sliver of the sun shone from behind our satellite's black silhouette. The lesser spectacle didn't deter people from flooding outside, armed with eclipse glasses and pinhole projectors fashioned from cereal cartons and shoe boxes, to bear witness to this cosmic ballet.

Throughout human history, eclipses were commonly regarded as either harbingers of doom or indicators of the gods' displeasure - long after the light of science had dispelled these myths. However, their power never ceases to amaze, as Glenn Rosa from the US and Sigridur Inga Sigurdardottir from Iceland explain.

Glenn Rosa: "I was actually having chills in my body. I think a tear or two came out of me. So - coz I, coz I never been on this - and it, it was an, an amazing experience."

Sigridur Inga Sigurdardottir: "It was totally amazing. It was something that you will not experience in a lifetime. It was more than I thought it would be."