Millions Witness Rare Total Solar Eclipse Across Spain and Iceland
11 sources across 8 countries
Who reported this
- elDiarioAR
- Infobae
- Le Monde
- France 24
- ANSA
- Corriere della Sera
- La Tercera
- Frankfurter Allgemeine
- Telex
- El Pais
- The Independent
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
A total solar eclipse plunged parts of Spain and Iceland into darkness on Wednesday, marking one of the most significant astronomical events in the Iberian Peninsula since 1905. The path of totality crossed thirteen Spanish autonomous communities, including Galicia, Asturias, and Madrid, while other regions in France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and North Africa experienced a partial eclipse. In some areas of the UK, the Moon obscured more than 90 percent of the Sun. Millions of people observed the event from the ground and through specialized expeditions, including a balloon flight at 3,000 meters in Palencia. High profile observers included Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May, who viewed the phenomenon from Arcos de las Salinas in Teruel.
The event triggered a surge in digital activity and consumer behavior. Telecommunications companies reported that data traffic nearly doubled in certain Spanish observation zones. In the UK, sales of colanders increased by nearly 40 percent as people used them to project the eclipse's shadow. However, the event also led to health concerns. Google searches for sore eyes increased by 650 percent in the UK and saw significant spikes in Germany. Medical experts warned that staring at the sun without ISO 12312-2 certified glasses can cause solar retinopathy, a painless retinal burn that may not show symptoms for hours or days.
Reporting on the event varied by political lean. Center left outlets focused on the sublime experience, the scientific history of the event, and the medical risks of retinal damage. Center right outlets emphasized the local tourism and infrastructure of viewing sites, as well as the specific data metrics regarding telecommunications traffic. Center outlets provided broader international coverage, highlighting the collective wonder of crowds across Europe and Africa.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These outlets emphasized the emotional and sublime nature of the experience, scientific exploration, and the medical dangers of improper viewing.
- Centre
- These outlets provided a more general, international overview of the event's occurrence across multiple continents.
- Centre-right
- These outlets focused on the economic and logistical aspects, such as local tourism, hotel details, and telecommunications data.
Sources
- Centre ANSA: Eclipse, images of the Moon's shadow on Earth from space
- Centre-right Corriere della Sera: Total eclipse on Wednesday: the moment of the complete darkening of the Sun in images captured in Spain by Nasa
- Centre-right Corriere della Sera: The sun, the sea, the horizon and the eclipse: the suggestive video from Castellammare di Stabia (Napoli)
- Centre-left El Pais: Consultations in ophthalmological emergencies increased due to the eclipse, but with hardly any serious cases: "The damages do not cause pain or irritation"
- Centre-left El Pais: The trail of the eclipse in data: from the solar blackout to searches for "eye pain"
- Centre-left El Pais: The map of the eclipse photos: this is how it was experienced in different places in Spain
- Centre-left El Pais: From Björk to skaters: the viral phenomena after the total solar eclipse
- Centre France 24: In Spain and Iceland, solar eclipse amazes millions of residents and visitors
- Centre France 24: REPLAY - Solar eclipse over Europe, northern Spain plunged into total darkness
- Centre France 24: Eclipse: in Dakar, enthusiasts and curious people gathered with heads in the clouds
- Centre-right Frankfurter Allgemeine: Solar eclipse: It is only about the eyesight
- Centre-right Infobae: This is Arcos de las Salinas, the municipality of Teruel with 105 inhabitants where Brian May, the Queen guitarist, saw the eclipse
- Centre-right Infobae: The solar eclipse almost doubled data traffic although unevenly by provinces
- Centre-right La Tercera: Spanish skater leaves one of the most surprising images of the eclipse
- Centre-left Le Monde: VIDEO Solar eclipse: relive the exceptional phenomenon across the world
- Centre Telex: A Spanish skater made the coolest video of the solar eclipse
- Centre-left The Independent: Warning signs that your eyes are damaged from staring at the eclipse
- Centre-left The Independent: The best pictures as stargazers treated to astral delight with eclipse and meteor shower on same evening
- Centre-left elDiarioAR: VIDEO | This is how the total eclipse was in Spain, in one minute
- Centre-left elDiarioAR: The solar eclipse, from a balloon at 3,000 meters height: “It was like touching the darkness with the hands”
90% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.