By Corina Pons and Tom Little
MADRID/REYKJAVIK, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The skies above Iceland fell into total darkness on Wednesday afternoon as a full solar eclipse occurred over the country's westernmost coast.
A break in the clouds allowed holidaymakers and locals to glimpse the celestial phenomenon.
"I was watching live from Reykjavik and, despite the overcast sky, a cheer went up from the crowd gathered in front of Hallgrimskirkja church when everything went black above them," a Reuters witness said.
Millions of people have gathered in Iceland and northern Spain to witness Western Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years, with Spanish officials warning people to avoid areas where a heatwave has raised the risk of wildfires.
Authorities were expecting up to 6 million visitors in mostly rural areas within the eclipse's path across the north of Spain and the Balearic Islands, said Juan Cruz, Spain's Secretary of State for Science.
"I hope that tonight will see the emergence of a wonderful generation of astrophysicists," he said. "It's such a special moment."
The eclipse will be quickly followed by the sunset in Spain, making the event particularly alluring.
POLICE, PLANES AND HELICOPTERS ARE ON STANDBY
The uncanny sensation when day briefly turns into twilight and some animals fall quiet as the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun, was often treated as an omen in the past, a cosmic struggle or a sign of divine power.
Now, Spain sees it as a chance to showcase seldom-visited regions and draw tourists away from its overcrowded beach resorts, while also rolling out a massive police operation and public safety campaign to prevent them from causing wildfires.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters 25,000 police officers had been assigned to guarantee security around the eclipse observation while nearly 100 planes and helicopters were also being deployed.
He called on citizens to follow the eclipse from the hundreds of observation points set up by authorities and abide by the restrictions set up around some parks. "Let's not forget that the wildfire risk is very high, it's extreme due to high temperatures," he said.
Lola Guerreiro spent the night in the mountains near Arcos de las Salinas in eastern Spain, home to Galactica — Europe's largest educational astronomy centre — as well as the Javalambre observatory, after making the long drive from Extremadura to view the eclipse.
"Watching a total solar eclipse has been a dream of mine for many, many years, and I didn't want to miss the chance to experience it, even though it meant a seven-hour journey," she said.
Sergio, a 60-year-old Italian, had made the trek in a camping van with his family to Arija in northern Spain.
"I do feel a little emotional. Yes, because I know I won't have another chance in my life to see an eclipse, a phenomenon like this," he said.
The Iberian Peninsula last saw a total solar eclipse in 1912. It is set to experience another one on August 2, 2027, and an annular eclipse in January 2028, completing the so-called "Iberian Eclipse Trio."
ECLIPSE FEVER IN THE LAND OF SAGAS
In Iceland's capital Reykjavik, glasses to allow people to look at the phenomenon without damaging their eyes have been sold out for days as the Nordic country of roughly 400,000 people expects to welcome up to 80,000 visitors.
Totality reached Iceland's westernmost coast at about 5:44 p.m. (1744 GMT), casting the far west of the island nation into total darkness for up to 2 minutes and 13 seconds, though most cities saw shorter periods of darkness. The moon's shadow has since continued its trajectory eastwards.
Authorities had warned of heavy traffic and urged viewers to arrive early.
Singer Björk was due to perform a DJ set at an eclipse-themed event south of Reykjavik.
U.S. space agency NASA plans to fly a high-altitude WB-57 aircraft from Iceland to follow the moon's shadow, and NASA-funded teams will launch balloons to study how the sudden darkness and cooling affect the lower atmosphere.
Aside from casual observers, the event also draws "eclipse chasers", enthusiasts who crisscross the globe to be in the path of totality whenever an eclipse occurs.
Gordon Telepun, a retired plastic surgeon and amateur astronomer from the U.S. who has photographed six total eclipses, said he would watch from the island of Mallorca because Spain checked all the boxes for eclipse chasers.
(Reporting by Corina Pons, David Latona, Joan Faus, Andrei Khalip, Leonardo Benassatto and Guillermo Martinez in Spain; Tom Little and Matteo Negri in Iceland, Jagoda Darlak in Gdansk and Stine Jacobsen in Denmark; Writing by David Latona and Niklas Pollard; Editing by Andrei Khalip, Nick Zieminski, Philippa Fletcher, Emelia Sithole-Matarise, Rod Nickel)
