A total solar eclipse swept across parts of the Northern Hemisphere on Wednesday, briefly plunging the skies into darkness, offering millions a rare celestial spectacle. The event marked the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999—a gap of 27 years.
The eclipse unfolded over several hours as the Moon aligned between Earth and the Sun, casting its narrow shadow over Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain, and a small part of Portugal. While observers along the path of totality saw the Sun completely obscured, people across much of Europe, northwestern Africa, and parts of northeastern North America witnessed a partial eclipse.
Social media feeds lit up with videos and photos of the total solar eclipse. One of the clips that stood out featured Olympic skater Danny Leon, where he timed a stunning photo of himself mid-skate, framed against the moment the Moon moved between Earth and the Sun.
The video has since gone viral, drawing a wave of reactions and over four million likes. “Bro you making a historic shot and the rest of the world was queuing for the glasses,” a user wrote. “Perfect timing in the universe!” another user commented.
Another video shows scenes from a beach in Ibiza. The video shows thousands of observers gathered on a beach, holding their phones to capture the eclipse. Soon, the sky turns dark as the eclipse unfolds.
A video from Spain caught attention, amassing nearly five million views. The clip captures the rare eclipse over the city of Tarragona.
A solar eclipse is a celestial event that occurs when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun either fully or partially. The movement casts a huge shadow on parts of the Earth. There are four types of solar eclipses: total, annular, hybrid, and partial.
