Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
The event is attracting visitors, scientists and dedicated eclipse watchers to locations where the phenomenon will be visible in full, with authorities preparing for large crowds along the path of totality.
In Spain, officials expect up to six million visitors across northern regions and the Balearic Islands. Authorities have launched a major security operation as the eclipse coincides with one of the country’s highest-risk periods for wildfires.
Spanish officials say the event will also offer an opportunity to showcase less-visited areas and ease pressure on heavily crowded coastal destinations.
In Iceland, around 80,000 visitors are expected to join local residents to watch the eclipse, with viewing areas prepared across the country.
In Reykjavík, eclipse glasses have sold out ahead of the event, while authorities have warned of heavy traffic and urged visitors to arrive early.
The moon’s shadow is expected to reach Iceland’s western coast at around 17:44 GMT, with totality expected to lastmore than two minutes in some areas.
The event will also feature cultural celebrations, including an eclipse-themed performance by Icelandic singer Björk.
The eclipse will provide scientists with a rare opportunity to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, which is normally hidden by the Sun’s brightness.
NASA plans airborne observations using a high-altitude WB-57 aircraft from Iceland, while research teams are set to launch balloons to study changes in the atmosphere caused by the sudden darkness and cooling.
Researchers say each eclipse provides new data because solar activity is constantly changing.
The event is also attracting “eclipse chasers” - enthusiasts who travel around the world to experience total solar eclipses.
Some have travelled to Mallorca, Spain, where conditions are expected to offer favourable weather and a longer period of totality.
The Iberian Peninsula’s last total solar eclipse occurred in 1912, with another expected in 2027 as part of a series of major eclipse events in the region.
The United States has launched strikes on Iran late Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian state media reporting explosions in several...
Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have gathered in Bishkek for a summit focused on trade, investment and transport as the...
Russia has rejected German allegations that Moscow was behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, calling the claims “baseles...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have gathered in Bishkek for a summit focused on trade, investment and transport as the group marks 25 years since its creation.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan in the first direct U.S.-Iran military escalation in weeks.
Kyrgyzstan is hosting the sixth World Nomad Games, bringing together thousands of athletes from around the world for a celebration of traditional sports, cultural heritage and nomadic traditions.
Russia views NATO’s growing military activity in the Arctic as a direct threat to its national security, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
The United States has launched strikes on Iran late Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian state media reporting explosions in several areas including Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island.
Russia has rejected German allegations that Moscow was behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, calling the claims “baseless”, as Russian air attacks killed at least 12 people in Kyiv and the surrounding region earlier on Tuesday.
China used this week's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit to deepen ties across Central Asia, turning a largely symbolic multilateral gathering into a series of bilateral agreements and modest progress toward a long-discussed SCO Development Bank.
Türkiye has drawn up a plan to restore safe grain shipments through the Black Sea and is discussing the proposal with both Moscow and Kyiv, its foreign minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.
Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, with China, Russia, Pakistan, the United States and the United Nations among the key partners on Uzbekistan’s agenda.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment