Spain is gearing up for a rare total solar eclipse, even as extreme heat and wildfires threaten to cast a pall over the spectacle. Millions in northern and central Spain will have prime views of the event, which begins around sunset. Spanish authorities have set up 350 official viewing sites and restricted access to 123 others due to environmental concerns. With temperatures soaring above 35 degrees Celsius and dry vegetation, officials are urging caution to prevent wildfires. Hotel prices in Spain and Iceland have soared, with rooms in Reykjavík exceeding $1,000 for Wednesday night. The eclipse marks Iceland's first total solar eclipse since 1954.

Sorry, North America. After winning the cosmic lottery with a pair of coast-to-coast total solar eclipses, now it's Europe's turn. But look skyward anyway Wednesday and, if you're far enough north in the U.S. and Canada, you can savor a partial eclipse as the moon nibbles away at the sun. Totality will begin near the North Pole, then streak southward across Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a patch of Portugal. If skies are clear, a partial eclipse should be visible in Anchorage, Alaska; Detroit; New York City; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; and Bangor, Maine, among other places.

For the first time in more than a century, a total solar eclipse is coming to mainland Spain with an even longer encore next summer. Daytime darkness will descend Aug. 12 across the Iberian Peninsula, plus slivers of Greenland and Iceland. Totality will last up to two minutes and 18 seconds. A partial eclipse will delight as far away as Alaska and Siberia, enveloping Canada, the northern U.S., and much of Europe and West Africa. This year's solar spectacle is a warmup to 2027 when a 6½-minute extravaganza will sweep from Spain to North Africa and the Middle East.