25 questions and answers

7) Where can it be seen in Spain?

Spain is the best place in the world to see this eclipse. It also happens that the eclipse precedes the night of the Perseids' peak, so there will be an opportunity to stay at the eclipse observation site to enjoy the meteor shower. 

The Perseids are a meteor shower that occurs every year between approximately July 17 and August 24, with peak activity around August 12–13. They occur when the Earth passes through the cloud of particles left behind by a comet. Upon entering the Earth's atmosphere, these small fragments (often the size of a grain of sand) burn up and generate the bright flashes we call shooting stars. They are named Perseids because the meteors appear to come from the same area of the sky in the constellation Perseus.

The total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026, in Spain. The darkest band is the path of totality, where the Sun will be completely hidden. The outlines in that band indicate the duration of totality. In the rest of the territory, the eclipse will be partial, and the outlines indicate the percentage of darkness.

The eclipse will be total across much of the northern half of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, while in the southern half it will be partial. The first place where it will be visible is Galicia. In A Coruña, the eclipse will begin at 7:31 p.m., reach its peak at 8:28 p.m., and end at 9:22 p.m., a few minutes before sunset, with a total duration of 76 seconds and the Sun at an altitude of 12 degrees.

The last place where it will be visible is the Balearic Islands. In Palma de Mallorca, the eclipse will begin at 7:38 p.m., reaching its peak at 8:32 p.m., a few minutes before sunset, with the Sun already very low, at an altitude of only 2 degrees.