Spain sees rare total solar eclipse as crowds gather along the path of darkness

A total solar eclipse swept across parts of Spain on Wednesday, bringing thousands of people to viewing sites in the north of the country. In Segovia, the moon fully covered the sun for 59 seconds, according to reports from the scene.

France 24 said spectators watched from the city’s cathedral bell tower as the sky darkened in the middle of the day. Euronews reported that the event was Spain’s first total solar eclipse in more than a century and that about half a million visitors travelled to the eclipse path.

The eclipse was visible across a broad stretch of northern Spain, where officials and local communities had prepared for the influx of visitors. The reports said the event drew people from nearby towns and from farther away to designated observation points.

The eclipse is part of a series of rare astronomical events that have prompted planning in several countries, including Iceland, where rooms were booked years in advance ahead of a future eclipse, according to The New York Times.