Total solar eclipse to grace Spain on August 12

Spain is preparing to be the center stage for a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, a celestial event that will be visible across the country from Galicia to the Balearic Islands. This marks a significant astronomical occasion for Europe, which has witnessed few such events in the 21st century.

The path of totality will also extend over parts of Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, northern Siberia in Russia, and a small corner of Portugal. Observers in other areas of the Northern Hemisphere, including the United States, Canada, Europe, and northwestern Africa, will experience a partial solar eclipse.

Astronomical tourism is expected to surge, with Spain anticipating an influx of approximately 446,700 tourists in the week surrounding the eclipse, from August 10 to August 16. The total duration of the eclipse will be nearly four and a half hours, though the phase of totality within Spain is predicted to last no more than two minutes, depending on the specific location.

This event follows a pattern of total solar eclipses across the globe, with Asia having hosted the most in the 21st century. The longest total solar eclipse since 2001 occurred on July 22, 2009, lasting over six minutes and traversing several Asian countries.