The eclipse will begin at 9:34 pm Bangladesh time on Wednesday and last for about 2 minutes and 18 seconds. It will be best visible from Spain, Iceland, Greenland, Russia, Portugal, and parts of northwest Africa. This is the first time since 1999 that a total solar eclipse will be visible from mainland Europe.

According to scientists, a total eclipse is possible because the apparent sizes of the Sun and the Moon as seen from Earth are nearly equal. Although two to five solar eclipses occur each year, total solar eclipses are relatively rare—on average 66 times per century, or about once every one and a half years.

However, weather has raised concerns. In particular, rain is forecast in various parts of Europe, which has created anxiety among tourists coming to see it.