Regions such as Galicia, Asturias, Castilla y León, Madrid, Aragon, Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands experienced the path of totality, while the rest of the country saw a partial eclipse. The solar corona shines when the moon completely blocks the sun during the phase of totality, as seen from San Asensio in the La Rioja region. Photograph: Ander Gillenea/Getty Images The event lasted about four and a half hours, while the total darkening of the sky lasted just under two minutes, allowing different space agencies to carry out scientific experiments in the path of totality. Real Madrid fans watch the solar eclipse through special glasses before the Teresa Herrera Trophy match between RC Deportivo A Coruña and Real Madrid at the Riazor Stadium. Photograph: José Manuel Álvarez Rey/Getty Images One of the most notable projects involved a NASA mission tracking the moon’s shadow using a WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft flying at 50,000 feet. A team of scientists attempted to gather new data on the dynamics of the solar corona (the Sun’s outermost atmosphere) which can only be studied in detail during total eclipses.
