The first total solar eclipse in decades in Europe swept across the continent on Wednesday, turning day to dark across several countries as crowds watched from hilltops, coastlines and other open spaces.
The coincidence of Earth, the moon and the sun falling into perfect alignment — a fleeting celestial event known as totality — created a frenzy across the region. People paid exorbitant hotel rates to be in the inner part, or umbra, of the lunar shadow. Along that path, where the sky was clear, the sun became a black disk ensconced in a hazy corona, surrounded by planets and stars.
– Jason Horowitz reporting for the New York Times from Castrillo de la Reina, Spain
[Graphic by Adine Renner/ The New York Times]