A total of 157 Aragonese municipalities will experience an exceptional solar eclipse: the countdown begins

The Aragonese sky will be the scene of an exceptional astronomical event on August 12, 2026, and the institutional machinery has already begun to roll. This Monday, Turismo de Aragón began meetings in Teruel with the municipalities that will enjoy privileged visibility of the solar eclipse, in an event that marks the beginning of the development of the Strategic Observation Plan for the event.

The Regional Minister of Environment and Tourism, Manuel Blasco, led the information session alongside provincial, regional, and municipal representatives. He emphasized, “This is a unique opportunity to revitalize the region and position Aragon as a leading destination for astronomical tourism.”

The specialized company AstroÁndalus, awarded the contract to develop the plan, presented the first steps of a project that will require careful planning. Its managing director, José Jiménez Garrido, emphasizes the need to select the best observation points and anticipate the massive influx of visitors expected for that date.

A WORLD-CLASS ECLIPSE WITH AN ARAGONESE EPICENTER

The total solar eclipse is no ordinary event. It will only be visible in a few areas of the planet, and Aragon is located within a privileged viewing zone measuring 290 kilometers in width, an unusual circumstance for this type of phenomenon. Specifically, 157 Aragonese municipalities, 82 in the province of Teruel and 75 in Zaragoza, will offer exceptional viewing conditions, with a maximum duration of 1 minute and 43 seconds.

Another 347 towns will also be able to enjoy more than a minute of solar darkness, while in 62 municipalities the spectacle will be shorter. The capitals, both Teruel and Zaragoza, will experience the full effect, unlike Huesca, which is located on the edge of the total visibility zone.

With more than a year to go until the big event, Aragon is already looking to the skies with excitement and its feet firmly planted in a strategy that aims to combine science, tourism, education, and sustainable development.