Spain experienced this Wednesday, August 12, one of the most extraordinary astronomical events in its recent history. The total solar eclipse traveled across much of the country from Galicia to the Balearic Islands and left a true night in the middle of the day for a few moments.
The phenomenon, which had not been observed from the Peninsula with these characteristics for more than a century, mobilized millions of people and caused massive movements towards the points located within the totality zone. These are the main keys of how the solar eclipse of 2026 was in Spain.
A total eclipse that Spain had been waiting for more than a century
The last comparable occasion dates back to 1912. This August 12, the shadow of the Moon crossed Spain following a band that advanced from the northwestern peninsula towards the Mediterranean.
The anticipation had begun much earlier. In the days leading up to it, certified glasses for observing the Sun had sold out in numerous establishments, and many areas located within the totality had recorded accommodation bookings made even years in advance.
On a global scale, the eclipse first crossed areas of Greenland and Iceland before reaching the Iberian Peninsula.
Galicia and Asturias, the first to see the Sun disappear
The first Spanish points reached by the eclipse were Galicia and Asturias, with places like Estaca de Bares and Cabo de Peñas among the initial areas of the path.
In A Coruña, the sky began to darken progressively around 7:30 PM, and totality arrived approximately at 8:28 PM. Oviedo experienced the moment just a few seconds later.
The low clouds that AEMET had already warned about hindered observation in some points of northern Galicia and the Cantabrian coast.
The darkness advanced from west to east to Mallorca
After the northwest, the lunar shadow quickly traveled across the Peninsula.
Around 8:30 PM, totality reached areas of Soria, Zaragoza, and Tarragona. Shortly after, it arrived at points in Teruel and Castellón and continued eastward.
In the capital Madrid, where the eclipse was not total, the maximum occurred around 8:32 PM.
The Spanish path ended in Mallorca, also approximately at 8:32 PM. The island was one of the places where totality lasted the longest, exceeding a minute and a half in some points and with the Sun positioned very close to the Mediterranean horizon.
Until almost two minutes of night in broad daylight
The total eclipse lasted a global 264 minutes, just under four and a half hours, although from Spain the different phases lasted around two hours.
The longest duration of totality of the phenomenon occurred in Iceland, with 2 minutes and 18 seconds. In Spain, some points in Asturias and León approached two minutes of complete darkness.
During those seconds, practically all direct sunlight disappeared, and stars and planets could be observed in broad daylight.
The solar corona and Baily's beads, scientific protagonists
One of the most anticipated moments for astronomers came during totality, when it was possible to directly observe the solar corona, the outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere that is normally hidden by the intense brightness of the solar disk.
In the moments immediately before and after, the well-known Baily's beads appeared, small bright points caused by sunlight passing through the valleys in the Moon's relief.
The eclipse also served as a scientific laboratory. A group of about thirty NASA researchers followed the phenomenon from Villalibado, in Burgos, while different Spanish teams conducted observations from other points in the country.
A sudden drop in temperature of up to seven degrees
The disappearance of the Sun not only transformed the brightness. During totality, sudden drops in temperature of up to seven degrees were recorded in some places.
A slight breeze also appeared, and noticeable changes occurred in the colors of the landscape and in the behavior of some animals, which reacted to the darkness as if night had arrived.
The difference between being inside or outside the totality band was decisive. Even going from 99.9% obscuration of the Sun to 100% completely changes the experience of the phenomenon.
Sara García, in tears: "Unique and indescribable"
The Yebes Observatory, in Guadalajara, was one of the main centers for monitoring the eclipse.
From there, among others, Spanish astronauts Sara García and Pablo Álvarez observed it.
García acknowledged after totality that she did not expect the experience to be so "overwhelming" and described it as "unique and indescribable".
Álvarez especially highlighted the silence generated during the darkness and compared the emotions of the moment with those he had experienced during the launch of the Artemis II mission.
Up to 1.5 million additional trips and major traffic jams
The enormous expectation also had consequences on the roads. The Government had estimated up to 1.5 million additional trips related to the eclipse.
The AP-7 reached around 12 kilometers of traffic jams, while significant traffic concentrations also occurred at the exits of Madrid and Barcelona.
The traffic jams also affected the A-67 at the height of Los Corrales de Buelna towards Palencia, as well as points on the A-2 in Guadalajara and the A-6 in Ávila.
No serious incidents despite the large concentrations
One of the greatest fears of the administrations was that the enormous concentrations of people could cause traffic problems, emergencies, or wildfires.
However, the day ended without serious incidents.
The autonomous communities had established access restrictions and suspended some activities in especially vulnerable areas.
A fire was declared in the mount of San Pedro, in A Coruña, one of the places set up to observe the eclipse, although the fire could be quickly controlled and extinguished.
Spain is already looking at the next total eclipse
The eclipse on August 12, 2026 has been only the first of an exceptional succession of major astronomical phenomena visible from Spain.
In August 2027, a new total solar eclipse will arrive. On this occasion, the path of totality will mainly cross the southernmost part of Spain, including the province of Cádiz, the coast of Málaga, a small area of Almería, and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
It will be especially spectacular due to its duration: the totality will exceed four minutes at some points.
Then, in January 2028, Spain will be able to witness an annular solar eclipse. In this case, the Moon will not completely cover the solar disk and will leave the characteristic luminous ring visible.
Three eclipses in three years that make Spain one of the main global venues to observe the Sun hiding behind the Moon.