Photos: Solar eclipse plunges parts of Europe into darkness

play Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedSportOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upIn Pictures A total solar eclipse crossed Iceland, Britain and parts of the European continent, drawing crowds to watch the event. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoThe moon completely covers the sun during a total solar eclipse as seen from Arija, Spain. [Borja Suarez/Reuters]By News AgenciesPublished On 12 Aug 202612 Aug 2026Millions of people across Europe have experienced their first total solar eclipse in 27 years. Starting at 15:34 GMT, the brightness of the daylight hours was gradually interrupted as the moon began to block the sun, eventually turning day into sudden night for about two minutes along the path of totality. That path – where the moon orbits in front of the sun and blocks its entire surface facing Earth – crossed northern Russia, Greenland and Iceland before sweeping across Spain and a small part of Portugal, bringing almost total darkness to about 15 million people. A partial eclipse was visible across much of Western Europe, parts of Northwest Africa, most of Canada and part of the northern United States. Show moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: