The sky changed its appearance in a few minutes and produced images that went around the world this Wednesday (12). The 2026 total solar eclipse took crowds to observation points in Europe and yielded records of the Moon completely covering the Sun, the solar corona and sudden darkness in broad daylight.
Total eclipse turns day into night in Europe; see photos of the phenomenon
The sky changed its appearance in a few minutes and produced images that went around the world this Wednesday (12). The 2026 total solar eclipse took crowds to observation points in Europe and yielded records of the Moon completely...
Photographers positioned along the band of totality followed the different stages of the phenomenon. In Spain, some of the images show only a thin luminous contour around the Moon, while others record the moment when the Sun completely disappears.
- Reuters gathered photographs taken in places such as Arcos de las Salinas, in the province of Teruel, and Arija, in the north of the country.
- The scenes also reveal the reaction of those who waited for the phenomenon.
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Photographers positioned along the band of totality followed the different stages of the phenomenon. In Spain, some of the images show only a thin luminous contour around the Moon, while others record the moment when the Sun completely disappears. Reuters gathered photographs taken in places such as Arcos de las Salinas, in the province of Teruel, and Arija, in the north of the country.
The scenes also reveal the reaction of those who waited for the phenomenon. Beaches, viewpoints, rural areas and spaces prepared especially for observation were occupied by residents and tourists equipped with protective glasses, cameras and telescopes. Millions of people watched the eclipse pass through Spain and Iceland.
Spain concentrated some of the most striking images. The eclipse occurred at the end of the day, with the Sun close to the horizon in several regions, combining totality with the evening tones. The country had not seen a total solar eclipse of this size in more than a century.
Eclipse crossed different regions of the Northern HemisphereThe Moon's shadow began its journey in the far north of Russia, passed through Greenland and Iceland, crossed the North Atlantic and reached the Iberian Peninsula. Totality was observed across much of northern Spain and also reached a small swath of northeastern Portugal.
In Portuguese territory, the only point within the total eclipse range was in the Montesinho Natural Park, in the district of Bragança. In the rest of mainland Portugal, the Moon hid between 92% and 99% of the solar disk. Azores and Madeira had lower coverage, between 74% and 77%.
Other regions of Europe partially followed the phenomenon. Photographs taken in Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria and Bosnia show the Sun in different degrees of coverage, often composing the scene with monuments, landscapes and silhouettes.
Eclipse was not visible in BrazilThose who were in Brazil were unable to observe the phenomenon directly. According to the National Observatory, the August 12 eclipse was not visible from any part of the country, not even partially. The institution made a broadcast available so that the public could follow images captured in regions within the visibility area.
The next solar eclipse with some visibility in Brazil will occur on February 6, 2027. It will be seen in partial form in almost the entire national territory. To follow a total solar eclipse again in the country, it will be necessary to wait until August 12, 2045, when the band of totality will cross states in the North and Northeast regions.
See in the gallery the images that recorded the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026 in different parts of Europe.
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