Spain and North Africa Prepare for Rare Trio of Solar Eclipses

When Josep Masalles was 17 years old, he was captivated by a partial eclipse of the sun over Barcelona, where he lives in northeastern Spain. It sparked a lifelong fascination that has taken him around the world. In the 53 years that have followed, Masalles has witnessed 43 eclipses, including 22 total solar eclipses.

"The beauty of an eclipse is incomparable," Masalles told DW at the headquarters of the Barcelona Astronomical Society, or ASTER, where he is president. "For me, it has also meant a way to travel, to see other societies and cultures, and to meet other astronomers."

Masalles, along with other astronomers, is now preparing for a rare trio of solar eclipses over Spain and North Africa — Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt — between August 2026 and January 2028.

What you can expect from the trio of solar eclipses

On August 12, a total eclipse will pass from Galicia in the northwest of Spain to the Balearic Islands in the east, as well as Greenland and the western edge of Iceland.

A second total eclipse will follow on August 2, 2027, visible from the tip of southern Spain, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East.

And in January 2028, an annular eclipse will pass from southwest to northeast Spain.

During an annular eclipse, the moon is too far from the Earth to fully cover the sun — so, it is not a total eclipse — but it does produce a visible "ring of fire," where only the sun's outer edge can be seen.

There are two to three solar eclipses every year. But most happen over the ocean or sparsely populated parts of the Earth. Total solar eclipses tend only to occur every 18 months.

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon completely blocks the sun's light, casting a region of our planet into darkness.

For Spain to see three solar eclipses, including two total solar eclipses, within roughly a year-and-a-half is exceptional, said Sandra Benitez Herrera, head of science communication and education at the European Space Agency (ESA).

"This is actually very, very unusual," said Benitez Herrera. "The configuration of the sun-Earth-moon system and the inclination of the orbits has allowed for Spain to have this trio."

A total eclipse hasn't been seen from the Iberian Peninsula since 1912, and after 2027 the next one to pass over any part of Europe won't be until 2053.

At the moment of "totality" — when the moon fully eclipses the sun — the sky darkens, and the outer layers of the sun's atmosphere — known as the corona — become visible to the naked eye.

Totality usually only lasts a few minutes, but a solar eclipse "leaves no one indifferent," said Masalles. "In the face of that beauty, of the grandeur of the universe, it's also a feeling of how small the planet is and how vast the universe is."

A total solar eclipse is a 'magical moment'

Total eclipses let scientists study the sun's corona — its atmosphere — and its effect on the Earth. It's a field called space weather and has become increasingly important, the more we depend on satellites for communication, financial transactions and Earth Observation to monitor climate change.

Space weather includes solar winds and storms, which can disrupt those satellites and even power grids on Earth.

By combining data from ground-based observations with data from space probes, like ESA's Proba-3 spacecraft, which creates artificial solar eclipses in space, or its Solar Orbiter, scientists hope to calculate the risks of space weather.

But perhaps the greatest impact of solar eclipses on everyday life is educational. They inspire millions of people to learn about astronomy and other aspects of science.

"Even the smallest towns are eager to receive visitors, have star parties and celebrations with music and concerts," said Benitez.

There will be hundreds of public events across Spain along the eclipse path this August. Even months before the first of the three eclipses, you could sense that scientists were excited to share their enthusiasm.

"I've seen people cry. I've seen people laugh. I've seen people doing strange things because it's a very magical moment," said Valentin Juan Martinez Pillet, director of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), Spain's largest astronomy institution.

The eclipse of the century: a collaboration across continents

Many people are already looking ahead to the 2027 eclipse. It's been dubbed "the eclipse of the century" because the moment of totality is predicted to last more than 6 minutes at its peak over Egypt.

Unlike the 2026 eclipse, which occurs close to sunset, the 2027 eclipse will take place in the late morning, with the sun high in the sky.

A citizen science project led by IAC, in collaboration with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco and the US National Solar Observatory (NSO), is laying the groundwork for observing that eclipse.

The North African Telescope Eclipse project (NATE) aims to bring together scientists and high school students from Spain, Morocco and the US. They will get a chance to observe the corona from ten telescope locations across northern Morocco.

"This means a lot to me," said Youssef Moulane, an astrophysicist at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University.

Moulane, who grew up in a small village near Marrakesh, said that as a young boy his community was afraid of eclipses, fearing they could be dangerous.

"They told us to hide inside, because they did not understand what was going on," he said. "Now, we are doing the inverse. We are inviting people to go outside and watch the eclipse, to put on glasses and enjoy it."

Images will be gathered from each of the locations in Morocco and stitched together to create an extended picture of the sun's atmospheric activity.

There was a similar project for the 2017 and 2024 total eclipses over the US.

"I'd like to see a coronal mass ejection, a big flare happening when we are observing the sun from Morocco," said Martinez, who ran the original US experiment. "In any case, there will be some science, but mostly it's about attracting and getting the students enthusiastic about science."

A smaller group of students will travel to northern Spain for the 2026 eclipse as a training exercise for the main event in 2027.