{
  "id": 688377,
  "title": "Start of partial eclipse in several regions of Spain",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/start-of-partial-eclipse-in-several-regions-of-spain",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-12T17:23:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/world/europe/start-of-partial-eclipse-in-several-regions-of-spain-2-1.500637970"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A partial solar eclipse, one of nature's most captivating phenomena, began sweeping across several regions of Spain on Wednesday, briefly plunging day into night. The Moon first obscured the Sun at the northernmost tip of mainland Russia, leaving only the faint glow of the corona and an eerie darkness. As it raced south towards parts of Greenland and Iceland, anticipation grew in Spain, where the eclipse's narrow path cuts diagonally from the northwestern Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean Sea before fading around 1830 GMT.\n\nMainland Europe's last total solar eclipse occurred 20 years ago, and Spain, which had not witnessed one in over a century, saw a surge of tourists and enthusiasts flocking to usually quiet villages. Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, had not experienced a total solar eclipse since 1433.\n\nYenny Guevera, a 50-year-old Peruvian living in France, expressed her excitement about witnessing the eclipse in Burgos, northwest Spain, noting that she had never seen one before and this would be her only chance. Mercedes Bua, a 51-year-old engineer in Colmenar Viejo, near Madrid, was equally eager to observe the event, fascinated by the changing light.\n\nSpecial viewing glasses were in high demand as the partial eclipse was visible for millions more in parts of Europe, Canada, the northern United States, and northwest Africa. The partial eclipse commenced in northern Spain shortly after 1730 GMT, according to AFP reporters. Fleeting and lasting only a minute, the phenomenon has historically inspired amazement, fear, and reverence as the shadow of the Moon, or umbra, briefly blankets the Earth, causing temperatures to drop, shadows to appear at unusual angles, and some animals to fall asleep.\n\nBritish solar physicist Lucie Green, who had traveled the world to witness eclipses, described the experience as \"a moving event.\" She will watch from a boat off the island of Mallorca. The eclipse, to be livestreamed by NASA and the European Space Agency, offers scientists a rare opportunity to study the Sun's atmosphere and its outermost layer, helping them uncover secrets about solar winds and our star's magnetic field. Although weather in some regions, such as the Westfjords region of northwest Iceland, could spoil the event, clear skies were forecast for Spain, though concerns over high temperatures and the risk of wildfires were present. Government predictions indicated that nearly 450,000 additional tourists could generate a 347-million-euro boost to the Spanish economy.",
  "summary": "Total solar eclipse to spellbind Europe",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}