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Spain Prepares for August 2026 Total Solar Eclipse During a Rare Run of Record Events

Officials forecast major travel to rural areas, coordinating security and transport for the viewing.

Overview

  • An annular “ring of fire” eclipse on February 17, 2026 will be the century’s longest of its type at about 7 minutes 30 seconds, with annularity over remote Antarctic and Indian Ocean tracks and only partial views in Patagonia, southern Africa and Madagascar.
  • A total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026 will cross east Greenland, the west coast of Iceland and northern Spain, marking the first totality visible from mainland Spain in more than a century.
  • Spain’s central government and the Xunta have set up coordination committees, with authorities expecting large visitor inflows to rural areas and Galician opticians warning of possible shortages of certified viewing glasses.
  • In Galicia, totality will cover about 46% of the region across 143 municipalities, with durations up to 1 minute 49 seconds in places like Ribadeo and Burela, while only three municipalities in Pontevedra will experience full coverage.
  • Looking ahead, a total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027 is projected to deliver up to about 6 minutes 22–23 seconds of totality across parts of Spain, North Africa and the Middle East, with Luxor, Egypt highlighted as a prime land-based viewing site.