The moon completely covers the sun during a total solar eclipse as seen from the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory in Arcos de las Salinas, near Teruel, Spain, on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.
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Christian Hartmann/Reuters
Millions of people across Europe stepped outside Wednesday to watch a spectacular sunset with a solar eclipse.
The path of totality passed through portions of Greenland, Iceland and Spain and Portugal. It was the first solar eclipse visible from Spain’s mainland since 1905, according to the European Space Agency.
A partial eclipse was expected to be visible in the northern parts of the United States, including from Alaska to North Carolina. The next partial solar eclipse will be visible across parts of the U.S. on Aug. 2, 2027. The next total solar eclipse will be visible in the contiguous U.S. on Aug. 23, 2044.
People in Berlin record a video of the moon partially covering the sun during Wednesday’s solar eclipse.
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Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
People wear protective glasses to observe a partial solar eclipse in Budapest, Hungary.
Bernadett Szabo/Reuters
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Bernadett Szabo/Reuters
A fish jumps out of the water as the moon partially covers the sun and briefly dims the afternoon light along the coast of Fregene, Italy, near Rome.
Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
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Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
A beachgoer wearing special eclipse glasses looks up during the beginning phase of a solar eclipse at Puerto de Sagunto beach near València, Spain.
Alberto Saiz/AP
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Alberto Saiz/AP
The Hallgrímskirkja is seen in the dark during a total solar eclipse on a cloudy day in Reykjavík, Iceland.
Marco di Marco/AP
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Marco di Marco/AP
A drone captures a picture of people wearing special protective glasses to observe a partial solar eclipse at the top of the St Mary’s Church bell tower in Rickmansworth, Britain.
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Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters
The sun’s corona glows as the moon completely blocks the sun during the totality phase of a total solar eclipse as seen from Lodoso, Spain.
Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images
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Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images
Staff from the University of Toulouse prepare equipment ahead of observing a partial solar eclipse on the summit of the Pic du Midi, in southern France.
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Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images
A partial eclipse as seen from the Observatorielunden park in central Stockholm, Sweden.
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Fredrick Sandberg/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images
People look to the partial solar eclipse in the landscape park of Halde Hoheward in Herten, a city in western Germany.
Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images
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Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images
A view of the total eclipse, as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, as seen from on board the Ambassador cruise ship Ambition, off the coast of Greenland.
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Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images
People gather to view a partial solar eclipse near Martello Tower 3 in Folkestone, England.
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Sarah Tilotta/Getty Images
The moon partially covers the sun during a solar eclipse near as seen from the Molecule Man sculpture in Berlin.
Markus Schreiber/AP
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Markus Schreiber/AP
A member of the public shows the four pairs of solar eclipse glasses they bought from a stall on Custom House Quay, in Falmouth, England.
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Hugh Hastings/Getty Images
People watch as a wildfire climbs a hill near where thousands are set to gather to witness a total solar eclipse at the Monte de San Pedro park in A Coruña, along Spain’s northwestern coast.
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Javier Sanchez, a member of the “Los Taraos” astrophotography group, sets up his photo camera to shoot a total solar eclipse in Berlanga de Duero, in central Spain.
Bernat Armangue/AP
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Bernat Armangue/AP