Live: Millions of skywatchers in Europe prepare for total solar eclipse

Millions of people are set for a rare celestial treat as they prepare to view the total solar eclipse on Wednesday evening. It is the first total eclipse – the moment when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun – in mainland Europe in two decades. Follow our liveblog for all the updates and reactions. 🎥 Millions gear up for first total eclipse since 2006 A total solar eclipse will sweep across northern Spain on August 12 in one of Europe's most anticipated astronomical events of the decade. From the Sun's corona to animal behaviour and human emotions, these rare celestial events continue to provide scientists with valuable insights more than two millennia after they were first observed. FRANCE 24's Selina Sykes reports ⤵️ Spain prepares for rare solar eclipse against backdrop of heat and wildfires Spaniards were rushing to buy specialized glasses to view a rare total solar eclipse, as authorities warned people flocking to rural areas to avoid anything that could spark new wildfires. Across a swath of northern and central Spain, millions of people will have some of mainland Europe's best views of the celestial spectacle. It will begin around sunset, when the sun, moon and Earth align, briefly bringing parts of the Iberian Peninsula — plus slivers of Greenland and Iceland — into darkness. The event could draw at least an additional half a million visitors, Spanish authorities say. Against the backdrop of scorching summer temperatures and wildfires, officials have rolled out a large public safety campaign ahead of the much-anticipated eclipse, with totality — when the moon completely covers the sun's light — expected to last less than 2 minutes and a half. 🎥 A rare show with scientific secrets We’re just hours away from a rare total solar eclipse, with parts of northern Spain set to briefly turn from day to night as the Moon blocks out the Sun. Millions more will see a partial eclipse across Europe, Canada, the northern US and northwest Africa. But beyond the spectacle, eclipses also offer scientists valuable insights into the Sun and our universe. FRANCE 24's Ellen Gainsford has more ⤵️ Total solar eclipse to spellbind Europe Millions of Europeans will contemplate the sky in awe as a rare total solar eclipse crosses part of the continent and plunges a swathe of Spain into eerie daytime darkness. The shadow cast when the Moon blots out the Sun will begin in Russia's remote Arctic north at around 1700 GMT and continue in an arc over Greenland and Iceland. In Spain, where the total eclipse will be best viewed, the shadow will cross the country diagonally from the northern Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean Sea, where it will vanish at around 1830 GMT. Far more observers will see a partial eclipse, visible in most of Europe, Canada, the northern United States and northwest Africa. Welcome to FRANCE 24's liveblog covering the total solar eclipse.