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\t\t\t\t\t\t14\/08\/2026<\/span> On 12 August 2026, Europe witnessed the first total solar eclipse in over two decades. Millions of people were awed by the Moon completely covering the Sun’s bright disc, briefly turning day into night and revealing the Sun’s outer atmosphere. Totality could be seen from Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Portugal, while most of the rest of Europe saw a partial eclipse.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As the Moon eclipsed more of the Sun, the light faded and temperature dropped. Shadows sharpened, and shuffling leaves on trees (or colanders held up to the light) projected crescents on the ground.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Right before the Sun’s disc was entirely blocked, small beads of light could be seen on the Moon\u2019s edge, where sunlight passed through lunar valleys. With a final bright flash of light, known as the diamond ring effect, totality began.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In a moment, darkness set in and the Sun\u2019s outer atmosphere was revealed in all its glory. White streaks of light extended outwards in all directions, and bright red, glowing prominences clung close to the Sun\u2019s surface.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think \u2018boggles the mind\u2019 sums it up,\u201d says the European Space Agency’s Director of Science Professor Carole Mundell, during ESA’s live broadcast from the Observatorio Astrof\u00edsico de Javalambre, Spain. \u201cThe detail was incredible. This eerie, nighttime light is what it feels like, but it’s not nighttime. Really very, very special.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Below is a collection of images taking during the eclipse. Click the left and right arrows to move between them. ESA arranged for live telescope feeds from the Spanish sites of Le\u00f3n, Palencia and Javalambre, and photographers across Europe shared their photos with us. Earth observation satellite MTG-I1 captured the Moon\u2019s shadow moving across Earth, and ESA’s artificial eclipse-maker Proba-3 captured a double eclipse from Earth orbit.<\/p>\n Text continues after the images.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n For those unable to travel to regions from where totality was visible, ESA’s live broadcast allowed them to experience the eclipse together with scientists from ESA and the observatory.<\/p>\n Hosted by Dame Dr Maggie Aderin, the programme explored topics ranging from the mysteries of the Sun and its corona, to how one famous eclipse changed our understanding of gravity, and how ESA is now creating artificial solar eclipses in space.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The highlight was the coverage of 1 minute and 21 seconds of totality, as the Moon plunged Javalambre into complete darkness. As well as telescope images and drone shots of totality, we captured Maggie and Director of Science Carole’s astonished responses to witnessing this extraordinary phenomenon.<\/p>\n You can rewatch the broadcast below.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t3<\/span> likes<\/small><\/span><\/p>\n<\/header>\nA live broadcast from the path of totality<\/h2>\n
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