Millions turn out for solar eclipse - 24th August 2026

Millions of eyes were fixed on the sky on 12th August to view a solar eclipse that was visible from Greenland to North Africa. The sight of the moon entirely blocking out the sun, which began in the far north, moved through Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain.

In these locations, day turned into night for almost two minutes during totality. This is due to the moon's shadow, which is called the umbra, hitting the Earth.

It was a stunning experience for Matt McMullan, who'd travelled to Iceland from the USA.

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."

Other areas of Europe and North Africa experienced a partial eclipse. Part of the sun's still visible, which creates a weaker shadow. This produces a low, silvery light.

Although this phenomenon's less impressive, many people stepped outside to see it. Some had purchased eclipse glasses, while others watched through homemade pinhole viewing boxes.

The mechanism behind an eclipse is well-established. However, beliefs that they signalled a coming disaster or the anger of the gods remained popular into the last century.

Nowadays, eclipses carry a sense of wonder. This was felt by both US visitor Glenn Rosa and Icelandic resident Sigridur Inga Sigurdardottir.

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."