Mark Griffiths drove from Cheshire to Galicia for Eclipse Prayer, spending two days on the road to see his first total solar eclipse. He carried two high-spec cameras, a specialist telescope and a drone, after stopping in France and resting for a few hours in Bordeaux.
The eclipse was due on Wednesday, when parts of Europe were set to be plunged into daytime darkness as the moon passed in front of the sun and temporarily blocked its light. Griffiths said, “I kept wanting more,” and added, “I’ll be honest, it’s like an addiction now.”
Mark Griffiths in Galicia
Griffiths said mainland Europe’s first total solar eclipse for more than 25 years was “like what the World Cup is to football” for enthusiasts like him. He also said, “I’m quite sleep deprived.”
Six years ago, he went to Shetland to see the northern lights and started the hobby that led him to eclipse chasing. Since then, he has filmed the northern lights numerous times, goes to Iceland once a month and leads tour groups there.
Galicia and the eclipse path
The path of total eclipse began at the tip of Siberia, curved round the Arctic Ocean and crossed parts of Greenland and Iceland. It then moved across a stretch of the northern Atlantic Ocean before reaching northern Spain and finishing in the Mediterranean.
Other parts of Europe were set to see a partial eclipse, while the total eclipse was expected to last only a couple of minutes for people who watched it. That short window is why eclipse chasers travel long distances, with Griffiths bringing cameras and a telescope to record the event rather than simply watch it once.
Samantha Phillips-Brown in Iceland
Samantha Phillips-Brown and Gregory Phillips-Brown flew from upstate New York to Iceland to see the eclipse. They hired a camper van so they could drive to a remote area, and this was the second solar eclipse they had witnessed.
For viewers in Galicia and Iceland, the practical challenge was the same: reach a clear spot before the moon covered the sun, then make the most of a display that would end in minutes. Griffiths’ drive shows how far enthusiasts will go when the timing, weather and location line up.
