IN IMAGES: Solar eclipse plunges large swathe of Spain into total darkness

A rare solar eclipse plunged a large portion of Spain into darkness on Wednesday, eliciting awe and excitement from spectators gathered across the nation. The brief, yet spectacular event lasted only two minutes at most, captivating Spaniards and tourists alike as it traversed a swath of territory from Galicia to the Mediterranean coast and Balearic Islands.

As the light gradually faded in Tarragona, a crowd in near-silence watched as the orange late-afternoon glow transformed into near total darkness, eliciting gasps and applause.

Many had journeyed from across Catalonia to witness the celestial phenomenon, fueled by the excitement surrounding the eclipse, which had gripped Spain in recent days. Laura Alarcon, a 53-year-old accountant from Tarragona, expressed her amazement, stating she hadn't anticipated the spectacle to be as impressive as it was. Nearby, Alejandro Cuesta, a 30-year-old nanoscience researcher, exclaimed that the experience was almost too beautiful to words, describing the atmosphere as almost reverent.

In Lodoso, a town west of Tarragona, cheers erupted from hundreds of people gathered in a heat-scorched field as the Moon completely covered the Sun, revealing the solar corona. Marta Miguel Tobrar, a 48-year-old illustrator, described feeling goosebumps as she gazed at the sky, her family visiting from Burgos.

To facilitate the gathering, instructions were displayed in multiple languages, including French, Korean, Polish, German, and English, to help attendees organize themselves. At the onset of the partial eclipse, some people shouted "Wow!" in anticipation of the unfolding event, while a group of South Korean tourists erupted in enthusiastic applause.

The eclipse unfolded spectacularly in the seaside resort of Palma de Majorca in the Balearic Islands, where tourists, many in swimsuits, watched closely from the water or the shore, protective glasses balanced on their noses. Throughout Spain, the enthusiasm was palpable, from Colmenar Viejo near Madrid to Madrid itself, where the eclipse reached over 99 percent coverage, plunging the city into near-total darkness for a few moments.

In Madrid's Temple of Amun park, hundreds of onlookers braved the August heat to witness the celestial event. Similar scenes played out in Barcelona's Montjuic hill, where hundreds of people convened to enjoy the rare spectacle. By the following day, millions of Spaniards, along with others who had witnessed the eclipse, would be able to say they had seen it.