What it's like to chase solar eclipses around the world

On Wednesday, observers in parts of Europe will experience daytime darkness as the moon temporarily obscures the sun, casting a shadow across the continent. For many, witnessing an eclipse is a rare and cherished event. However, for some, the allure of eclipses has become an addiction.

Mark Griffiths, a photographer armed with high-spec cameras, a telescope, and a drone, has driven from Cheshire to Galicia over two days to capture the upcoming eclipse. His fascination began six years ago during a trip to Shetland to view the northern lights, but the poor weather didn't deter him. Instead, he became captivated by the spectacle of celestial events and now consistently documents them.

Griffiths shares that the upcoming total solar eclipse in mainland Europe, the first in over 25 years, is akin to the World Cup for eclipse enthusiasts. He describes his current state as "almost like an addiction," speaking to him after a marathon drive from England, France, and into Spain, where he only stopped to photograph the night sky and rest in Bordeaux.

Samantha Phillips-Brown and her husband Gregory, who witnessed their first eclipse near their home in upstate New York in 2023, have travelled to Iceland to experience another. They booked their journey more than a year in advance. For Samantha, the eclipse revealed an awe-inspiring power and a distinctive silence as birds ceased their chirping.

Gregory reflects on how first settlers might have felt witnessing such a phenomenon more than a millennium ago, perceiving it as terrifying yet mystifying. They plan to drive around Eastern Iceland to find a suitable spot in the Westfjords peninsula to witness the eclipse.

Andrew Wills, travelling to Majorca with his wife and father (90 years old), shares his fascination with eclipses, sparked by his first sighting in Cornwall's St Agnes Beacon in 1999. He appreciates the delicate balance in our planet's orbit, where the sun is 400 times larger than the moon but much closer. Eager to catch a clearer view, Andrew has booked a villa near Andraitx on the island's west coast, hoping for an optimal viewing spot along the sea.