France, Aug. 13 -- As impressive as it was fleeting -- barely two minutes at most -- the extremely rare astronomical event delighted Spaniards and tourists alike across a band of territory stretching from Galicia to the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands.

As the light slowly faded in Tarragona, on the Mediterranean coast, a crowd looked on in almost reverent silence as the orange, late-afternoon glow gave way to almost complete darkness. People watch a partial solar eclipse through protective glasses from the Dune of Pilat in La Teste-de-Buch near Arcachon, France, August 12, 2026.

"It's crazy!" uttered a woman as the crowd beside her suddenly burst into enthusiastic applause.

Many had travelled from across Catalonia to witne...