Totality Among the Vineyards: the Total Solar Eclipse of August 12, 2026
On August 12, 2026, the Moon's shadow crossed northern Spain. It was the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Spain since 1905, and we watched it from a vineyard near La Horra, in the Ribera del Duero wine region, about 15 km from Aranda de Duero. The eclipse happened only about an hour before sunset, with the Sun just 8° above the horizon. That made it a tricky eclipse to observe, but also a very beautiful one. The Eclipse at La Horra These were the circumstances for our observing site (local time, CEST): First contact (start of the partial phase) 19:34 Second contact (start of totality) 20:29 Maximum eclipse 20:30 Third contact (end of totality) 20:31 Duration of totality about 1 min 42 s Altitude of the Sun at maximum about 8°, in the west-northwest Sunset 21:19, with the Sun still partially eclipsed Because the Sun was so low, we were looking at it through about seven times as much air as when it is straight overhead. That dims and reddens the Sun, and...
