A total solar eclipse occurred on Wednesday, August 12, the first in more than two years, as the Moon passed between the Sun and Earth and cast a shadow that fully blocked sunlight over parts of the planet.
A partial eclipse, in which only part of the sunlight is blocked, was visible in regions of Europe, Africa and North America.
Where the eclipse was visible
The narrow path of totality stretched 8,300 kilometers (5,157 miles), beginning over the Arctic coast at around 1pm Brasilia time and passing near the North Pole before moving over Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and northern Spain, according to EarthSky.
Observers in Greenland could see the eclipse for just over two minutes, while those in northern Spain could see only about 20 seconds of totality, weather permitting. Cloud cover is always the biggest obstacle to viewing an eclipse.
The eclipse crossed Galicia and then Spain's Balearic Islands as night fell, speeding up the transition from day to night, according to Spain's Scientific and Advisory Committee for the Eclipse Trio.
People living outside the path of the eclipse could follow a live broadcast of totality shared by the European Space Agency from the Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambre in Teruel, Spain.
When is the next solar eclipse?
According to NASA, the next total solar eclipse will cross southern Spain, North Africa, Saudi Arabia and Yemen on August 2, 2027.
The United States will not have another chance to see a total solar eclipse until March 30, 2033, and even then the only viewing point will be in Alaska. Not until August 22, 2044, will a total solar eclipse be visible in the continental United States, when totality will occur over North Dakota and Montana.
The next total solar eclipse with a path of totality crossing all 48 contiguous U.S. states will take place on August 12, 2045. The path of totality will pass over California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, with a partial eclipse visible in other states.
