Six months before the total solar eclipse that will be visible in Aragon in 2026: what we know about it and what time it will be

There are exactly six months left until the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026, will darken much of the Iberian Peninsula. Aragon will be one of the luckiest regions, as some areas in the provinces of Teruel and Zaragoza will have the best visibility. For this reason, the region is already preparing to experience one of the most special and unique astronomical phenomena, but do we really know what a total solar eclipse is and how long it will be visible in Aragon?

An eclipse is a phenomenon that occurs when the light from one celestial body is blocked by another  as their orbits align. There are two types of eclipses: a solar eclipse , which occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, casting its shadow on the earth; and a lunar eclipse, which occurs when the earth passes between the sun and the moon, blocking sunlight and casting the earth’s shadow on the moon.

WHAT TIME WILL THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF AUGUST BE VISIBLE IN ARAGON?

The eclipse visible in Aragon on August 12, 2026, will be a total solar eclipse taking place at sunset, specifically between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Total darkness will occur around 8:30 p.m. , depending on the geographical area, when the sun will be completely obscured for 1 minute and 40 seconds. However, the totality of the phenomenon will last approximately two hours , as a partial eclipse will be visible, allowing a segment of the sun to be seen for a longer period. 

However, since the eclipse will occur during sunset and the sun will be very low in the sky, one of the factors to consider is being at the right altitude. “ You have to look for places where the terrain allows you to see 5 degrees of the horizon ; you have to avoid valleys nestled between mountains or artificial sites, and instead look for places open to the sunset,” explained Javier Cenarro , director of the Center for Physics of the Cosmos Studies of Aragon, during his presentation at the 1st Meeting on Communication, Science and Society in Teruel , organized by the Association of Journalists of Aragon and Cefca. 

As the director of the Teruel center pointed out, “ the eclipse will begin in Greenland, graze Iceland, cross the Atlantic Ocean, and enter the Iberian Peninsula. That’s why it will be so important, because the Peninsula will be the only place with the necessary infrastructure to view it.” This phenomenon will be such a unique moment because, “on average, a solar eclipse occurs in the same location on Earth every 375 years ,” he explained. In that regard, the last total solar eclipse on the Iberian Peninsula was in 1912 , and the most recent in Spain occurred in 1959, but it was only visible from the Canary Islands. 

THE IBERIAN TRIO OF ECLIPSES 2026 TO 2028

The phenomenon we will observe on August 12, 2026, will not be the only eclipse visible from the Iberian Peninsula; two more will follow in the coming years. A second total eclipse will occur in 2027 , taking place on the morning of August 2nd and lasting longer than the first. However, it will only be visible in the south of the peninsula, in Andalusia , the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Alboran Sea. 

The last of this trio of eclipses will be on January 26, 2028 , and in this case, it will be an annular eclipse , meaning a phenomenon where the moon blocks the central part of the sun but allows an outer ring of light to be seen. This eclipse will occur at dusk and will be visible from Seville, Cordoba, Albacete, Castellon, Valencia , and also from the province of Teruel . “In fact, Teruel and Castellon will be the only two provinces that will be able to see two eclipses, the one in 2026 and the one in 2028,” explained the director of Cefca. 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OBSERVING AN ECLIPSE: FACTORS TO CONSIDER

Given these phenomena, it’s common to have questions about how to observe an eclipse . Therefore, the Cefca (Center for Astronomical Studies of Catalonia) has developed a series of recommendations to ensure you can enjoy this astronomical event safely. They recommend using only certified solar eclipse glasses , equipped with special filters capable of reducing the intensity of sunlight by a factor of more than 30,000. Ordinary sunglasses are not suitable. It’s important to know that when wearing eclipse glasses, you won’t see anything except when looking directly at the sun. They are designed solely for this purpose and should not be used with telescopes , binoculars, or cameras, as this could damage them and cause serious eye injuries. 

Furthermore, it is not recommended to look at the Sun for more than 30 seconds at a time , taking breaks between observations. Under no circumstances should the eclipse be observed with the naked eye, regardless of the percentage of the Sun’s surface covered.