As a celestial show of a solar eclipse, where the moon blocks the sun, unfolded across Europe on the evening of the 12th (local time), citizens and tourists gathered in various places let out cheers.

In Spain and Iceland, where the total solar eclipse was observed, as well as in the UK and France, where a partial solar eclipse of over 95% appeared, visitors flocked to areas with good views of the sky, leading to a shortage of special-purpose glasses.

From astronomy enthusiasts who brought professional observation equipment and people wearing special glasses to children who brought handmade devices using shoeboxes and aluminum foil for indirect observation, crowds gathered wherever the sun could be seen.

Reuters, the Associated Press, and BBC reported that during the few minutes when the area fell into darkness as the sun completely disappeared, applause and cheers erupted from various places.

Sergio, a 60-year-old Italian who traveled with his family in a camper van to Arija in northern Spain, told Reuters, "I am overwhelmed with emotion because I will never have another opportunity in my life to see an eclipse like this."

The hill village of Medinaceli in northeastern Spain was also crowded with people waiting from hours before to secure prime spots to properly view the total solar eclipse, which would last for a few minutes.

Akata Bonk, a philosophy professor, said she traveled from Madrid to this village to properly view the eclipse, telling the Associated Press, "It is thrilling to see darkness suddenly strike and the sun disappear."

Reuters reported that this is the first time a total solar eclipse has been visible from the Iberian Peninsula since 1912.

Another total solar eclipse is scheduled to be observed on August 2, 2027, and an annular solar eclipse, where a bright ring appears around the edge of the sun, is expected to appear in January 2028, completing the "Iberian eclipse trio."

It was projected that 8 million tourists would visit Spain on this day, and 80,000 people would flock to Iceland, which has a population of 400,000.

Steinsor Jonsson, manager of Hotel Keflavik in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, said, "People have flocked in massively," adding that such a sight has not been seen since 1986, when the hotel opened and US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev held a summit in Reykjavik.

There were also people who watched the eclipse from the sea.

The cruise ship MS Spitsbergen, located in Liefdefjorden in eastern Greenland, positioned itself in the middle of the sea while navigating the central Arctic route to show the spectacle of the eclipse to its 126 passengers.

Sverre Ryd, captain of the cruise ship, told the AP, "All day long, passengers came and asked me to secure a good spot for them," and added, "Everyone is extremely excited. It's like an atmosphere on Christmas Eve."

In the UK and France, although it was not a total solar eclipse, the proportion of the sun blocked by the moon reached up to 96% and 99%, respectively.

The BBC reported that such an event has not occurred in the UK since 1999 and is a major event that will not be seen for the next 50 years.

In London, people gathered in Greenwich, home to the Royal Observatory, to watch it together.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)