To many we still have the healthy envy of seeing the spectacular images of the total solar eclipse that toured Mexico, the United States and Canada just over a year ago. It was an event that paralyzed a continent, especially in the so -called “totality strip”, the areas that were completely dark. Well, the next great cosmic appointment has Spain as a global protagonist. And we will not have to wait long.
August 12, 2026. In just over a year the first total visible solar eclipse will take place since 1905, a unique opportunity in more than a century. Together with Iceland, which will enjoy 58 seconds of totality, we will be the only country in the world that can see all the phases of the eclipse. And let’s be sincere: in the middle of August, our possibilities of having clear skies are considerably greater than those of the Icelanders.
Context. A total eclipse occurs when the moon aligns perfectly between the sun and the earth, projecting a shadow that immerses the lucky ones in a twilight darkness in the middle of the day. In the 2026 event, this shadow, the strip of totality, will have about 300 kilometers wide and will cross Spain from west to east, from Galicia to the Balearic Islands.
The autonomous communities that will be under the shadow cone of the totality are Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Aragón, Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. Madrid will be right on the edge, with a fleeting totality in the north of the region. But the rest of the country will not stay empty and witness a very partial partial eclipse, with a coverage of more than 90% (and up to 74% in the Canary Islands, with Lanzarote as the island with better seats for the show).
Almost two minutes. An essential tool to plan the observation of eclipse to the millisecond is the interactive map of Xavier Jubier. This resource is the gold standard for eclipses hunters because it allows you to click anywhere on the map to obtain the exact hours of each phase, the duration of the totality, the altitude of the sun in the area …
The eclipse will start just before sunset. The totality phase will take place around 20:30 (summer peninsular time), with the sun already very low on the horizon. This turns observation into a race to counterreloj against sunset. In cities like Oviedo, the totality will last 1 minute and 48 seconds, only a few more moments in Burgos, León or the Island of Mallorca, which is emerging as one of the most tourist places where to see the eclipse (with the disadvantage that the sun is put before in the peninsular northwest).
Safety first. As much as I tempt us, look directly in the sun, even partially eclipsed, can cause permanent eye damage. During all partial phases (before and after the totality), it is necessary to wear certified glasses to see eclipses or indirect methods to observe it.
For the rest, it will be enough to look for a high observation place, with a horizon clear of mountains or buildings to the west so as not to miss the one that will undoubtedly be the astronomical event of the century.
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