ON August 12, a total solar eclipse crossed Europe, marking the first such event in twenty years. Millions witnessed the eclipse, leading to significant decreases in internet traffic as people diverted their attention from devices to the sky. An analysis of HTTP request data showed a clear correlation between the eclipse's obscuration and dips in online activity, particularly in regions experiencing totality, such as Iceland, Spain, and Portugal, where traffic dipped by up to 46.7%.
The data demonstrated that human behavior during significant celestial events can reshuffle digital activity, underlining the connection between physical occurrences and online attention.