Rare total solar eclipse set to sweep across parts of Europe

The event, the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe in two decades, will occur as the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, temporarily blocking sunlight.

A broad stretch of northern and central Spain, a small part of Portugal, and sections of Greenland and Iceland will experience a total eclipse. Much of Western Europe, including the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland and northern Italy, will see a partial eclipse, The Guardian reported.

In Spain, totality is expected to peak between 8.26 pm and 8.33 pm local time, depending on the location, shortly before sunset.

In the UK, the eclipse will begin in London at 6.17 pm local time, reach its maximum at 7.13 pm and end at 8.06 pm, according to the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Around 96% of the sun is expected to be obscured in Cornwall, compared with 93% in western Scotland and 92% in London.

Next August, southern Spain, including the cities of Cadiz and Malaga, will experience a total eclipse. Then, in January 2028, an annular eclipse - when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun but does not completely cover it - will be visible over major cities including Seville, Malaga and Valencia.

Experts warned people not to look directly at the sun with the naked eye or ordinary sunglasses, as doing so could cause permanent eye damage. They recommended using certified eclipse glasses or indirect viewing methods, such as a pinhole projector.

Scientists are also interested in the eclipse because it provides an opportunity to study the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, which is normally obscured by the sun’s brightness.

The astronomical spectacle will be followed by the Perseid meteor shower, expected to peak overnight Wednesday into Thursday.