Daily Recap: Science — 12 August 2026

Europe’s rare solar eclipse dominates the science day, turning northern Spain into the focal point of a brief total blackout while partial views draw crowds across the UK and Ireland. The event also shows how public science moments spread far beyond observatories, shaping travel,...

A total solar eclipse draws millions of viewers across Europe, with Spain at the center of the event and parts of the country briefly plunged into darkness. As the Sun, Moon and Earth align, people gather in cities and towns along the eclipse path for one of the continent’s most notable skywatching events in years.

Northern Spain sits on the path of totality as a rare total solar eclipse crosses mainland Europe on Wednesday. In the areas where the Moon fully covers the Sun, daylight briefly gives way to darkness, with totality lasting about one minute and 43 seconds at its peak before the partial phase continues across much of Europe and beyond.

Across the UK, the Moon covers most of the Sun in a rare eclipse that produces one of the country’s most dramatic partial views in decades. The display unfolds at different times depending on location, giving much of the country a prominent view of the celestial alignment even outside the narrow track of totality.

In Scotland, many eclipse watchers head to favored viewing points, but cloud cover limits what they can see. Even with poor conditions in some places, people still turn out in hopes of catching breaks in the weather as the Moon passes across the face of the Sun during the rare event.

Large crowds gather in Dublin and Belfast to watch the eclipse from public viewing areas. People follow eye-safety guidance as they try to catch the partial phases, turning the event into a shared public spectacle across both cities as the Moon obscures a significant portion of the Sun.

Ahead of the eclipse, hundreds of people queue in central Dublin to buy certified eclipse glasses. The long lines reflect strong public interest and the need for safe viewing equipment, as residents prepare for darkened skies and try to secure proper eye protection before the event begins.

In the UK, demand rises for kitchen colanders as people look for simple ways to view the eclipse indirectly. The spike in sales highlights how households adapt everyday objects for pinhole-style projection while interest builds around one of the biggest partial solar displays seen there in decades.

In Colombia, rescuers pull a 32-year-old woman alive from the rubble 36 hours after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake. Emergency crews find her beneath collapsed structures in Pereira and carry out a prolonged extraction, marking a rare survival after an extended search-and-rescue effort.