Day Turns Dark in Spain, Iceland and Greenland; More Than 90 Percent Partial Eclipse Seen in Britain
London/Madrid. People across Britain and mainland Europe witnessed one of the most spectacular solar eclipses in nearly 30 years. Thousands of people gathered at various locations to witness the rare celestial event on August 12, 2026.
Remarkable Display of Partial and Total Eclipse
The solar eclipse was visible in different forms across various parts of Europe:
More Than 90 Percent Eclipse in Britain: People in Britain witnessed a partial solar eclipse, which reached its peak shortly after 7 p.m. local time. During the peak, the Moon covered more than 90 percent of the Sun.
Daytime Darkness: A total solar eclipse was visible in parts of Spain, particularly near Reinosa in northern Spain, as well as in parts of Iceland and Greenland. The Moon completely blocked the Sun in these areas, causing darkness to briefly descend during the daytime.
Enthusiasm Across Europe
Germany and the Netherlands: Large crowds gathered in Herten, Germany, to witness what was described as the best partial eclipse visible there in 50 years. A beautiful view of the partial eclipse was also observed from Asten in the Netherlands.
Edinburgh and Spain: Large crowds gathered at Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland, to watch the eclipse. In Spain, several sports personalities, including Arsenal Women’s player Geraldine Reuteler, also enjoyed the spectacular celestial event during the team’s training camp.
According to experts, people in Britain will have to wait several decades to witness a total solar eclipse of comparable magnitude.
