Spain braces for rare solar eclipse trilogy starting August 2026

Josep Masalles, president of the Barcelona Astronomical Society, has pursued a lifelong passion for eclipses since witnessing a partial solar event at 17. Over 53 years, he has observed 43 eclipses, 22 of them total solar eclipses, finding their beauty incomparable and a means to travel and connect with fellow astronomers.

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The beauty of an eclipse is incomparable. For me, it has also meant a way to travel, to see other societies and cultures, and to meet other astronomers.

Now, Masalles and other astronomers are preparing for an extraordinary series of three solar eclipses over Spain and North Africa from August 2026 to January 2028. The first, a total eclipse on August 12, 2026, will traverse from Spain's Galicia to the Balearic Islands, also visible in Greenland and Iceland. A second total eclipse will occur on August 2, 2027, visible from southern Spain, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East. Finally, an annular eclipse, creating a "ring of fire," will cross Spain from southwest to northeast in January 2028.

While two to three solar eclipses happen annually, most occur over oceans or unpopulated areas. Total solar eclipses are rarer, happening roughly every 18 months. For Spain to experience three eclipses, including two total ones, within about 1.5 years is highly unusual, according to Sandra Benitez Herrera, head of science communication at the European Space Agency (ESA). This rare occurrence is attributed to a unique configuration of the sun-Earth-moon system and orbital inclinations.

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This is actually very, very unusual. The configuration of the sun-Earth-moon system and the inclination of the orbits has allowed for Spain to have this trio.

The last total solar eclipse visible from the Iberian Peninsula was in 1912, and the next one over Europe after 2027 won't be until 2053. During totality, the sky darkens, revealing the sun's corona. Masalles describes the experience as magical, evoking a sense of human smallness against the vastness of the universe. Beyond the spectacle, total eclipses are crucial for scientists studying the sun's corona and space weather, a field of growing importance due to increasing satellite dependency.

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In the face of that beauty, of the grandeur of the universe, it's also a feeling of how small the planet is and how vast the universe is.