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.
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Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 13 October 2026 with the top five science and technology news happening around the world. ...
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The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a newly opened defence museum displaying weapons developed under his leadership, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are set to discuss measures to tackle transboundary haze during preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN summit in November, as forest and land fires in Indonesia continue to affect air quality across the region, the Philippines said on Tuesday.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the United Kingdom believes Iran was likely behind an alleged plot connected to RAF Fairford, a military airbase in Gloucestershire in England that has played a role in U.S. operations against Iran, escalating tensions between London and Tehran.
Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has accused the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement for political purposes after authorities searched her Washington-area home as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
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