A total solar eclipse lasting 59 seconds plunged Segovia into darkness
A total solar eclipse that passed over part of Spain late Wednesday plunged Segovia into darkness for 59 seconds. According to France 24, several locals and visitors watched the phenomenon from the bell tower of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Fructuosus, which offers a view of the landscapes of the Castile and León region.
There were 190 steps leading up to the observation deck of the 16th-century bell tower, with an elevation gain of 90 meters. Among the spectators were Minos and his sister Michelle, who had traveled to Segovia from Malmö, Sweden. Minos, an astronomy enthusiast, had been waiting for years for the chance to see a total eclipse and brought a camera equipped with a solar filter.
The Swedish couple traveled to Segovia from Madrid through the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range. Also on the bell tower were Segovia residents Kelly and Yago, their relatives, other visitors, and a priest. They watched the Sun through protective glasses.
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At 8:30 p.m., the bells rang to signal the moment when the Moon was set to completely cover the Sun. After darkness fell and an unusual silence settled in, the crowd gathered at the foot of the tower began to applaud. During the total phase, observers saw the solar corona.
Yago told France 24 that he would remember this event for the rest of his life, and his partner burst into tears. Michelle was glad she had chosen Spain for the viewing rather than Iceland, where heavy cloud cover prevented many people from seeing the total eclipse. France 24 calls this the first total solar eclipse in continental Europe since 1999.
