Europe Looks Up for First Total Eclipse Since 1999

Astronomer Imo Bell joins Bloomberg to discuss the August 12 total solar eclipse crossing Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, and Spain—the first visible from central or western Europe since 1999. She explains the rarity of totality, the unique viewing opportunities, and the scientific insights eclipses have historically enabled, including testing general relativity and studying the sun's corona. - A total solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Europe on August 12 for the first time since 1999. - The path of totality crosses Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, and northern Spain, including Palma de Mallorca. - Imo Bell, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, describes the event as rare and highly anticipated. - Total solar eclipses are unique to Earth in the solar system because the moon and sun appear almost exactly the same size in the sky. - Solar eclipses have historically enabled major scientific discoveries, such as evidence for general relativity in 1919 and the discovery of helium. - A NASA mission will fly a jet to chase the moon's shadow during the eclipse to study the sun's superheated corona for longer. - The guest emphasizes that eclipses remind people of Earth's place in the universe and renew public interest in space science.