For the first time in the 21st century, a total solar eclipse occurred in Europe (photo)

Europe sees first total solar eclipse of the 21st century (photo)

A total solar eclipse occurred in the northern hemisphere on the evening of August 12. Residents of Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and Spain were able to directly observe the moon completely blocking the sun.

Photo: Composite image of the total solar eclipse observed over an hour from the Spanish city of Arija / Reuters

Photo: Lodosa, Spain / EPA

In major cities in Western Europe, the moon covered 85-95 percent of the sun's disk. The event aroused great interest, as it was the first total solar eclipse for continental Europe since 1999.

Photo: Calton Hill in Scotland / PA Media

Photo: Krakow, Poland / NurPhoto

Photo: St. Petersburg, Russia / Sputnik

Special glasses and binoculars were sold out in stores in major cities in the region a few days before the event. The next eclipse will occur a year later, on August 2, 2027. Its total phase will be visible in southern Spain, as well as in North Africa.

Photo: Asten, Netherlands / EPA

Photo: Greenland / PA Wire

Photo: Vienna, Austria / Reuters

Photo: London, UK / PA

Photo: Berlin, Germany / EPA

Photo: Prague, Czech Republic / EPA

Photo: Faro, Portugal / The Guardian

Photo: Gerten, Germany / Getty Images

Photo: Spain / Reuters

Photo: Spain / AFP

Photo: Belgium / AFP ​

Photo: Spain / EPA

Photo: St. Petersburg, Russia / AP Photo

Photo: Greenland / PA

Photo: Poland / EPA

Photo: Warsaw, Poland / EPA ​

Photo: NASA shares image of total solar eclipse in Spain / AFP

Photo: London, UK / The Guardian ​