This Monday, April 8, much of North America was able to enjoy one of the most beautiful astronomical spectacles that our solar system can offer us: a total solar eclipse. In Canada, the United States and Mexico, there were many people who were fascinated for a few minutes and watched as the Moon was placed between the Earth and the Sun, leaving hundreds of places in the dark for a few minutes, causing all sorts of reactions. But heThere is good news for those of us who didn’t get to enjoy this event.especially for our country.
In the coming years, Spain will be an important venue for the visualization of a series of cosmic dances of this kind, which will end with a unique “act” that takes place on average only once every 400 years. Specifically, three eclipses can be observed, two of them total and one annular 2026, 2027 and 2028. The first, a total solar eclipse -When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking our view of the star except for its outer atmosphere (the corona), you can enjoy that August 12, 2026.
To observe this first solar eclipse in detail, Valencia, Bilbao or Zaragoza are the best places to admire the phenomenon. And be careful, because Madrid and Barcelona are just outside the Strip where is the percentage of the total covered by the sun. This does not mean that in these capitals you will not be able to enjoy this total solar eclipse, but it is true that you will not see it “as well” as in other parts of the national territory.
Less than a year later, August 2, 2027the second one total eclipses which can foreseeably be seen from our country, although on this occasion it can be fully enjoyed in the south of Spain The “Strip of Totality” occupies a small part of Cádiz and Málaga. This means that the entirety becomes longer as we get closer to the Strait of Gibraltar area. Indeed, this solar eclipse can be enjoyed especially in North Africaon the coasts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya or Egypt.
Finally, in 2028, the special event of the three awaits us: a annular solar eclipse -Phenomenon that occurs when the moon does not completely cover the sun, creating a kind of giant “ring of fire” around the satellite – that will occur on January 26th this year. On this day, the three stars will be perfectly aligned, although the Moon will be furthest from Earth in its elliptical orbit, which from our perspective will result in it not completely covering the Sun and revealing that reddish ring. in heaven. On this occasion, The southern half of Spain is the ideal place to observe this eventwhich could take more than ten minutes.
