Spain witnesses first total solar eclipse in over a century

Spain experienced a total solar eclipse on Wednesday, the first in nearly a century across parts of the country. The moon passed directly in front of the sun, turning day into brief darkness in northern, central and eastern regions. Cities including Bilbao, Burgos, Leon, Zaragoza and Valencia were plunged into darkness for periods ranging from a few seconds to roughly two minutes. Madrid and Barcelona, just outside the path of totality, saw the sun obscured by more than 99 percent. In neighboring Portugal, the eclipse was largely partial, though a small area near Bragança in the northeast fell within the totality line. The path of totality moved from the Atlantic Ocean off Greenland and Iceland, across northern Spain, and ended near the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean. Wide areas of Europe and North Africa observed a partial eclipse at varying degrees, according to NASA data. Reports said light and temperature dropped sharply during the event, with birds and animals reacting as though night had begun. Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, saw its first eclipse since 1433, though cloud cover partially obscured the view. Wednesday's event marked the start of a series astronomers describe as a "triple eclipse" for Spain, with another total eclipse expected to cross the country's south in August 2027, followed by an annular eclipse in January 2028.