The best photos of the total solar eclipse

Millions of people got a rare glimpse of a total solar eclipse on 12 August as the moon aligned perfectly with Earth and the sun to cast a shadow that passed over Siberia, the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain. It was the first total solar eclipse visible from Earth since early 2024.

Spain was the most populous region from which the total eclipse was visible, with the eclipse path passing across the country diagonally from the northern Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean Sea in the late afternoon of 12 August. The photo above was taken in Berlanga de Duero, 240 kilometres north-east of Madrid.

Observers at the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory in Arcos de las Salinas, near Teruel, Spain, were caught perfectly framed in this image. Although much of Spain saw a total eclipse, there was also a chance to witness a partial eclipse of around 90 per cent in Ireland, the UK, France, Italy and some parts of the north of Africa.

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This composite image shows the progression of the eclipse from partial to total and back to partial again, over San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain.

Another composite image shows the total solar eclipse over the Mediterranean Sea seen from Mallorca, Spain. It was the first such event visible from the country in over a century, with totality lasting around a minute.

A boat is captured here in line with the sun and the moon off the island of Ibiza.

The incredibly sharp collection of images above show the eclipse at various stages from Arija, Spain.

Spain will, surprisingly, see another total eclipse next year, on 2 August, along with Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Saudi Arabia.