Tourists flocked to see the solar eclipse, European room prices doubled

Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, recorded the strongest increase in room prices thanks to its favorable location to fully observe the phenomenon before dark. Room prices on the night of August 12 increased to an average of 793 USD (about 20.8 million VND), nearly double the same period last year.

Spain, which has the best viewing conditions in Europe, is expected to welcome nearly half a million domestic and foreign tourists this week, according to estimates by the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise. Many northern cities such as A Coruña and Bilbao also saw room prices increase sharply, some places increased more than half compared to the previous year, bringing the average room price to about 450 USD/night. Many hotels and motels in towns located in the eclipse’s path were fully booked months ago. Some American tourists had to change houses with local people to have a place to observe.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun. People standing in the central shadow will see a total solar eclipse; The surrounding edge only sees a partial eclipse. On the evening of August 12, the total band passed through northern and central Spain, parts of Portugal, Greenland and Iceland. England, France, Belgium, Switzerland and northern Italy can only observe a partial eclipse at sunset.

Those who cannot make it to Europe can still watch the phenomenon via livestream. NASA installed four high-power telescopes in the village of Villalibado, in northwestern Spain, to broadcast the eclipse live to more than 10 million people.

Ms. Carys Herbert, an astronomer at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, recommends that viewers find an open position facing the western horizon, avoiding tall buildings or trees because the Sun is at a low altitude at this time.

Experts advise viewers to find an open location, facing the western horizon, avoiding tall buildings or obscure trees. Absolutely do not look directly at the Sun with your naked eyes or regular sunglasses – you need to use specialized eclipse viewing glasses to avoid permanent eye damage.