What to know about the total solar eclipse on August 12
A total solar eclipse is scheduled for August 12, crossing parts of Russia, Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. This rare event occurs when the Moon perfectly aligns between the Earth and the Sun, creating a brief period of total darkness.
Why it matters
Solar eclipses are significant scientific and cultural events that draw global attention to astronomical phenomena and climate-related environmental contexts.
Here is what you need to know about the total eclipse, which is the first visible in mainland Europe since 2006.
Eclipses happen when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, casting a narrow band of shadow across our planet.
It creates a strange twilight during which temperatures drop, shadows appear at strange angles, and some animals go to sleep.
These odd phenomena convinced ancient cultures that eclipses were signs of the apocalypse -- or messages from the gods.
However it is really the result of a "cosmic coincidence", according to NASA.
"Even though the Sun is about 400 times bigger than the Moon, it is also about 400 times farther away," the US space agency says.
This means that for people standing in the right spot, the Moon totally covers the Sun -- revealing its outer atmosphere called the corona.
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