Residents across Europe stopped to stare into the heavens on Wednesday, mesmerized by the first total solar eclipse over mainland Europe since 1999.
The August 12th eclipse is just one of a series that some observers are calling “a Golden Age of Solar Eclipses.”
In February of this year, we reported on a “ring of fire” eclipse in which the Moon passed between Earth and the Sun, but didn’t entirely eclipse the Sun, allowing a halo of its fiery glow to be seen. The “ring of fire,” also known as an annular solar eclipse, was mainly visible in southern South America, Africa, and the Atlantic.
FULL STORY: The ‘Golden Age of Solar Eclipses’ Kicks Into Gear: 3 Total Eclipses and 3 ‘Rings of Fire’ in 3 Years
HERE are some stunning photos that capture the mood on Wednesday powerfully:
BELOW: A view of the total eclipse, as the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, as seen from the Ambassador cruise ship Ambition, off the coast of Greenland. (Photo credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire SCIENCE/Press Association via AP Images)
BELOW: People watching the solar eclipse at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, London. (Photo credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire SCIENCE/Press Association via AP Images)
BELOW: A young boy watches the solar eclipse at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, London. (Photo credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire SCIENCE/Press Association via AP Images)
BELOW: The total solar eclipse is seen from Berlanga de Duero, central Spain. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
BELOW: People gathering to watch the solar eclipse on Calton Hill, Edinburgh. (Photo credit: Jane Barlow/PA Wire SCIENCE/Press Association via AP Images)
BELOW: People gather to watch the solar eclipse on Calton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo credit: Jane Barlow/PA Wire SCIENCE/Press Association via AP Images)
BELOW: A total solar eclipse is seen from Berlanga de Duero, central Spain. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
BELOW: People gather at a viewpoint to watch a solar eclipse in Lisbon, Spain. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
BELOW: People observe a partial solar eclipse at Northala Fields in London. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
BELOW: People observe a partial solar eclipse in Kraliky, Czech Republic. Photo/David Tanecek (CTK via AP Images)
BELOW: People watch a deep partial solar eclipse from the top of the mine dump Hoheward in Herten, western Germany. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
BELOW: A boy on a bicycle watches the partial solar eclipse in Jacobsdorf, Germany. (Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP)
BELOW: A farmer holding a scythe stands in a meadow before the solar eclipse in Jacobsdorf, Germany. (Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP)
BELOW: A solar eclipse is seen over a Virgin Maria church in Vidigulfo, near Pavia, northern Italy. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
BELOW: This combination photo shows the sequence of the moon covering the sun in a total solar eclipse seen from Berlanga de Duero, central Spain, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
The ‘Golden Age of Solar Eclipses’ was Preceded by the 2025-2026 Blood Moons – Learn More HERE.
