Millions of skywatchers across Europe and North Africa looked up in awe on Wednesday as the moon completely blocked the sun for up to 2 minutes and 18 seconds, the longest total solar eclipse the continent has seen since 1999. The path of totality crossed from northern Morocco through Spain, southern France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and into Central Asia.
In Valencia, Spain — where totality lasted the longest — crowds gathered on beaches and rooftops to watch the sky darken at midday. Temperatures dropped by nearly 6 degrees Celsius in minutes as the moon's shadow raced across the city at over 2,500 kilometers per hour.
Eclipse watchers on Valencia's Malvarrosa beach wearing protective glasses."It's one of those experiences that reminds you how small we are," said amateur astronomer Carlos Mendes, who traveled from Lisbon to Valencia for the event. "No photograph does it justice."