Total darkness, then sunset as full eclipse wows spectators across Europe

Spectators across Spain watched in awe as a rare total solar eclipse swept across the north of the country on Wednesday evening, plunging it into darkness. The celestial spectacle drew millions to Spain and Iceland, marking Western Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years.

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It's impressive how the colors return little by little after totality - first the reds, then the blues - just like at dawn and sunset, totally deceiving your brain.

In Buitrago de Lozoya, north of Madrid, viewers clapped and cheered as the sky dimmed. Baily's beads, points of sunlight shining around the moon's edge, glistened on the horizon just after 8:30 p.m., lasting for less than a minute. Economist Diego Fernandez, 32, described the experience as impressive, noting how colors returned like at dawn and sunset, deceiving the brain. Rafael Jiménez, 50, a Madrid resident, likened the event to science fiction, recalling sprinklers activating in a garden as the sky darkened.

Spain's experience followed a less remarkable event over Iceland, where clouds obscured the view for many. However, a break in the clouds in the west allowed some to glimpse the phenomenon. In the Icelandic capital, lawyer Eduarda Ortiz, 33, felt goosebumps, reflecting on the shortness of life and how time perception can shift. Former Queen guitarist Brian May was among those in Spain, chronicling the event on Instagram and expressing amazement as the sun disappeared.

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It was an absurd scene; we even got soaked when the garden sprinklers kicked in. And then, just like that, we were watching the sunset again.

Authorities in Spain had anticipated up to 6 million visitors in rural areas along the eclipse's path. The Iberian Peninsula's last total solar eclipse occurred in 1912, but the region is set to experience more celestial events with an annular eclipse in January 2028, completing the 'Iberian Eclipse Trio' after another total eclipse in August 2027.

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It was like a whole day just came at once and I felt goosebumps because it just made us think about ... the shortness of life, how time can be different and it depends on your perspective.

The uncanny sensation of day briefly turning to twilight, sometimes accompanied by animal silence, as the moon aligns perfectly between the Earth and the sun, has historically evoked wonder and contemplation about humanity's place in the cosmos.

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Here we go, the sun is disappearing. It’s amazing.