Spain braces for first total solar eclipse in over a century on 12 August
A total solar eclipse will sweep across Spain on 12 August 2026, the first visible from the Iberian Peninsula since 1912. The path of totality, more than 1,000 kilometres long and nearly 300 kilometres wide, will extend from Galicia to the Balearic Islands.
On the evening of 12 August, a total solar eclipse will darken the skies over the northeastern half of Spain. It marks the first time the Iberian Peninsula has experienced totality since 1912, a gap of more than a century. The phenomenon is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of international tourists and trigger mass movement of millions of people within Spain seeking optimal viewing locations.
Path and duration
The zone of totality, where the Moon completely covers the Sun, will stretch more than 1,000 kilometres from Galicia to the Balearic Islands, with a width of nearly 300 kilometres. At the best observation points, the total phase will last almost two minutes. The eclipse will also sweep across Greenland, Iceland and the North Atlantic. Because it occurs in late afternoon shortly before sunset, low cloud on the horizon could spoil the view in some areas.
It will be a total eclipse like many others. There is nothing specific that makes it special, except the singularity that it will be seen from here.
A century of waiting
While a total solar eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth roughly every 16 months, Spain has been absent from the path of totality for generations. The last time the peninsula fell under the Moon's shadow was in April 1912, when the eclipse was visible from Portugal, León and Asturias before crossing Europe into Siberia. Earlier total eclipses graced the region in May 1900 and August 1905. In between, Spain witnessed 15 partial eclipses, which are far easier to see because they do not require standing inside the narrow corridor of perfect alignment.
- Total eclipse seen from Porto, Castile, Alicante and the Maghreb.
- Visible from Asturias to the Balearic Islands and the southern Arabian Peninsula.
- Crossed Portugal, León and Asturias, then Europe to Siberia; shared headlines with the Titanic disaster.
- First total eclipse over the Iberian Peninsula in 114 years, spanning Galicia to the Balearics.
- Second total eclipse in less than a year visible from Spain; totality exceeds six minutes in Egypt.
Watching from a plane
Some travellers may find themselves aboard a commercial flight when the eclipse occurs. Observing the event from cruising altitude is possible if the aircraft is inside the totality band at the exact moment and the passenger's window faces the Sun. Pilots or cabin crew could choose to announce the event, but planning such alignment on a scheduled flight is difficult. Aircraft windows do not provide sufficient protection, so anyone looking directly at the eclipse must use the same certified glasses required on the ground, bearing the EN ISO 12312-2:2015 standard and CE mark. The eclipse itself poses no risk to flight operations, affecting only the outside light level.
A sequence of eclipses
Spain is entering an unusually busy astronomical period. The 12 August eclipse is the first of three solar eclipses visible from the country in just 18 months, according to La Vanguardia. A second total eclipse will occur on the morning of 2 August 2027, again putting Spain inside the path of totality. For eclipse chasers willing to travel farther, that later event will offer a totality exceeding six minutes in Egypt and has been dubbed “the eclipse of the century” by space.com. Authorities are already taking measures to manage crowds: the Balearic government plans to restrict access to the Serra de Tramuntana to safeguard the natural environment during the event.
