The best places to enjoy the eclipse: check how it will look from your municipality

Catalonia is preparing for the historic total solar eclipse that will take place on August 12. A phenomenon that had not occurred in our land for 121 years, but that will not be seen completely everywhere. We must imagine a straight line approximately between Vilanova i la Geltrú and Lleida: the municipalities and regions located south of this line will see how the sun is totally hidden by the Moon, while those that remain to the north will witness a slightly partial eclipse. On this interactive map you will be able to discover how this spectacular phenomenon will be seen from your municipality and which will be the best areas to enjoy it to the fullest.

When and from where will the solar eclipse be visible?

To experience this astronomical phenomenon, we will have to wait until August 12, 2026, when, from Lleida, Tarragona, Castellón, Valencia, Palma, and the surroundings of these cities, the total eclipse will be visible, around 8:30 PM (the exact moment will depend on the location). The luckiest Catalans will be those in Ponent, the Terres de l'Ebre, and the Balearic Islands: "If we imagine a line that roughly connects Lleida with Vilanova i la Geltrú, the entire territory located south of this line will enjoy a total eclipse. The further south, the longer the phase of totality will be," explains Eduard Masana, a researcher at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia and the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the UB.

The area where the eclipse will be longest will be in the Terres de l'Ebre: it will last for a little over a minute and a half in places like Tortosa. Outside this strip, that is, in the northern half of Catalonia, the eclipse will be seen as partial.

El recorrido del eclipse total comenzará en las costas rusas del mar de Láptev, pasará muy cerca del polo Norte y recorrerá Groenlandia. La banda de la totalidad después bajará hacia el océano Atlántico y la península Ibérica. De hecho, cruzará España durante la tarde (hora local) y terminará en las Islas Baleares con la puesta de sol. El recorrido concreto viene determinado por las posiciones y cómo se mueven los tres astros involucrados en el fenómeno: el Sol, la Luna y la Tierra.

¿Qué es exactamente un eclipse solar total

This type of phenomenon occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and completely blocks the star's face. When we are in the center of the Moon's shadow, the sky darkens completely and, if weather conditions permit, the Sun's corona can be seen (a view that leaves spectacular images). Masana specifies that within the path of totality "it does not become pitch black": "Light reaches us, through the atmosphere, from areas outside this path where the eclipse is not total. In any case, the darkness is great enough for some of the brightest stars and planets in the sky to become visible"

It must be remembered that the totality of this eclipse will only last about a minute, but even so, one must distinguish very well between the partial and total phases. During the partial phase, when the Moon has not yet completely covered the Sun, it cannot be looked at directly without something protecting our eyes. Looking directly at the Sun can cause retinal damage, and for this reason, approved filters must be used, which can be purchased at opticians or astronomy stores: "As long as part of the sun's surface is visible, even if it is very small, we must look with protective glasses. Not doing so could imply serious eye injuries that can be irreversible," warns the IECC researcher.

During totality, on the other hand, we must look at the sun directly if we want to enjoy the view of the eclipsed sun (the solar corona, the prominences, the stars, the darkness of the environment,...), since with the glasses we would not see anything. Now, we must be attentive to protect our eyes again the moment the partial phase returns.

When will we see each other again?

Este fenómeno astronómico en Cataluña será único: no volveremos a ver un eclipse total hasta el 17 de noviembre de 2180, ¡dentro de más de 150 años! Aun así, no tardaremos en presenciar otro acontecimiento extraordinario: tendremos 3 eclipses en años consecutivos. En agosto de 2027 habrá otro eclipse total de Sol que solo será visible en el sur de la Península, y en febrero de 2028 tendremos un eclipse anular que sí veremos en Cataluña. En estos eclipses la luna tiene un tamaño que no es lo suficientemente grande para tapar la totalidad del sol, y lo que vemos es un "anillo de sol".