A total solar eclipse crossed Europe and Asia
On this day · 11 August 1999
The last total solar eclipse of the 20th century swept from the Atlantic to the Bay of Bengal as hundreds of millions watched.
On 11 August 1999, the Moon’s shadow raced across the Eastern Hemisphere in the last total solar eclipse of the 20th century. The path of totality began in the Atlantic, crossed central Europe, the Middle East, and India, and ended at sunset over the Bay of Bengal.
Because it tracked over some of the most densely populated places on Earth, it became one of the most-watched eclipses in history. By the European Space Agency’s reckoning, up to 350 million people stood in or near the shadow’s path — though clouds spoiled the view for many in western Europe.
For a couple of minutes, day briefly turned to dusk across two continents.
The deepest darkness fell near Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania, where totality lasted 2 minutes and 23 seconds and the shadow stretched 112 kilometers wide. After 1999, Europe would wait years for its next mainland total eclipse, making this a generational event for the continent.
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