On the eve of Wednesday’s total solar eclipse, Spain, which is set to offer some of the best views in mainland Europe, was buzzing with excitement. Thousands of people were travelling to find the best location to witness a rare few minutes – sometimes even seconds – of darkness. Madrid, which lies outside the path of totality – the brief moment when the sun is completely blocked – felt particularly quiet as the capital emptied of residents flocking to see the eclipse in regions in northern and eastern Spain. With just one day to go, social media posts in groups for eclipse chasers were growing fast. Read moreEclipse chasers: When chasing totality becomes a way of life (1/4) “I’m going to watch the total solar eclipse from Almazan,” a medieval town in the province of Soria, Daniel Ostrowski wrote in a Facebook group, in a post with a photo of a sunset taken on Sunday evening from Madrid’s Cerro del Tio Pio park.
Many trains at Madrid-Chamartín-Clara Campoamor station are fully booked on the eve of the eclipse on August 12. © Pauline Rouquette, FRANCE 24
“Is anyone else planning to watch it from there too, and come back straight afterwards?” he asked. Almazan lies some 200 kilometres northeast of the Spanish capital. Some social media users were looking for a lift; others were grappling with last-minute cancellations and hunting for a replacement vehicle. The lucky ones who’d already arrived at their perfect locations proudly shared photos of the view they'd chosen – each quietly confident that they picked the best spot. With mainland Europe set to witness its first total solar eclipse since 1999, FRANCE 24 is dedicating a series of articles to this astronomical event – one of the continent’s most anticipated of the decade – with upcoming reports from the path of totality in Spain. • Eclipse chasers: When chasing totality becomes a way of life (1/4) • From Solar corona to human emotions: What can we learn from eclipses? (2/4)
