{"id":1047,"date":"2026-08-02T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/?post_type=briefing&p=1047"},"modified":"2026-08-02T06:00:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T21:00:49","slug":"2026-08-02-spain-sunset-total-eclipse-en","status":"publish","type":"briefing","link":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/briefing\/2026-08-02-spain-sunset-total-eclipse-en\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain\u2019s sky will switch off at sunset, for under two minutes"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026-08-02 06:00 KST<\/strong><\/p>\n

At sunset on August 12, the Moon\u2019s shadow will cross northern Spain and completely cover the Sun. Greenland, Iceland and a small area of northeastern Portugal also lie in the path of totality.<\/p>\n

Not all of Spain will go fully dark. Outside the narrow totality path the eclipse is partial, and eclipse glasses are required whenever any part of the Sun remains visible.<\/p>\n

Where darkness lasts, and for how many seconds<\/h2>\n

The global maximum is 2 minutes 18 seconds near Iceland. Spain gets less: calculations give A Coruna 76 seconds of totality and Burgos 104 seconds.<\/p>\n

In Leon, totality begins around 8:28 p.m. local time; in Valencia, around 8:32 p.m. Madrid reaches 99% coverage but remains outside the totality path, so the Sun never disappears completely.<\/p>\n

Why the horizon matters more than a mountain<\/h2>\n

Spain sits near the end of the Moon shadow\u2019s route. At totality the Sun is only 12 degrees above the horizon in A Coruna and 8 degrees in Burgos.<\/p>\n

In Palma, the Sun is roughly 2 degrees high at maximum eclipse. A hill or tall building to the west can therefore hide the main event even under a clear sky.<\/p>\n

\"People
AI-created explanatory image. It is not a real image of the 2026 eclipse; it shows how totality may appear low in Spain\u2019s sunset sky.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why both 1905 and 1912 appear in the history<\/h2>\n

ESA describes this as mainland Spain\u2019s first total solar eclipse since 1905. Spain\u2019s National Geographic Institute also records a 1912 hybrid eclipse that appeared total for about seven seconds in part of the northwest.<\/p>\n

A hybrid eclipse changes between annular and total along its route. Calling 2026 simply a `121-year first` leaves out that brief 1912 exception.<\/p>\n

What the rest of the region will see<\/h2>\n

The totality path runs from northern Russia across Greenland, Iceland and the North Atlantic before reaching Spain. Most of Canada, much of Europe and northwestern Africa lie in the much wider partial-eclipse zone.<\/p>\n

London is forecast to reach about 91% coverage, Paris 92% and Lisbon 95%. Even a thin piece of uncovered Sun remains unsafe to view directly.<\/p>\n

When can the glasses come off?<\/h2>\n

Only observers inside the totality path may remove eye protection, and only during the brief interval when the Sun is completely covered. Before and after it, and everywhere with a partial eclipse, use certified eclipse glasses or an indirect method such as pinhole projection.<\/p>\n

Cloud or a blocked western horizon may erase the view on the ground. ESA plans an international livestream from Spain, providing an official fallback when local conditions fail.<\/p>\n

Official primary sources<\/h2>\n

Primary source: NASA eclipse map, city times and safety guidance<\/a><\/p>\n

Primary source: Spanish National Geographic Institute eclipse details<\/a><\/p>\n

Primary source: European Space Agency eclipse programme<\/a><\/p>\n

Primary source: Spanish National Geographic Institute eclipse history<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Moon\u2019s shadow will cross northern Spain on August 12, bringing totality just above the western horizon for less than two minutes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":[],"class_list":["post-1047","briefing","type-briefing","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/briefing\/1047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/briefing"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/briefing"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}