‘It’s the first time, and it’s the last time’: Europe witnesses rare total eclipse of the sun

AFP12 Aug, 2026 05:21 PM4 mins to readA woman tests out her special glasses as people gather on Primrose Hill in the hope of watching a near total solar eclipse, with more than 90% of the sun blocked by the moon across Britain, in London on August 12, 2026. Photo / AFP)One of nature’s greatest spectacles – a rare total solar eclipse - began casting its shadow on Wednesday, briefly turning day into night in Russia’s remote Arctic north before heading towards mainland Europe. The Moon first blotted out the Sun at the northernmost tip of mainland Russia at about 1700