Spain will experience its first total solar eclipse visible from the main peninsula in more than a century on Wednesday, August 12. The eclipse will begin as a partial event shortly after 7:30 p.m. peninsular time and reach totality around 8:30 p.m., with the sun sitting very low on the western horizon.
Calculations from Spain's National Geographic Institute (IGN) show that the schedule varies slightly by city as the path of totality crosses the peninsula from west to east. In A Coruña, partial coverage starts at 19:30:56, with totality running from 20:27:40 to 20:28:57 for a duration of 76 seconds. In Burgos, partial eclipse starts at 19:33 and totality begins at 20:29, lasting 104 seconds. In Valencia, the maximum occurs near 20:30, with totality lasting up to two minutes.
Spain sits at the end of the path of totality, placing the spectacle in the golden hour as the sun touches the horizon. The IGN warned that a clear western view is necessary, noting that a building, hill, or row of trees could completely block observation even inside the path.
Global path of totality
The path of totality is not limited to Spain, also crossing Iceland, Greenland, and northern Russia, according to confirmations from the European Space Agency and NASA. Totality reaches the Siberian Arctic first, followed by Greenland and then Iceland, which will see the longest totality of the entire eclipse at two minutes and 18 seconds. In Reykjavik, totality begins at 17:48 UTC.
Outside the totality path, a partial eclipse will be visible across large parts of Europe, North Africa, and northeastern North America, with greater coverage closer to the center path. The phenomenon will not be visible anywhere in Ecuador, but NASA will stream live Spanish coverage for free on its official channels starting at 12:15 p.m. Ecuador time.
