An unprecedented event in modern history is coming, known as the “Iberian Trio”, which will occur in Spain between 2026 and 2028. We will have the privilege of witnessing three solar eclipses (two total eclipses and one annular solar eclipse) in the same country and in three consecutive years.
August 12, 2026: total eclipse at sunset
It will be the first total solar eclipse visible from the Iberian Peninsula in more than a century. The lunar shadow will enter from the northwest, cross Asturias and Castile, reach the Mediterranean and end in the Balearic Islands shortly before sunset. Coinciding with the sunset, totality will occur when the Sun is grazing the western horizon, around 8:30 pm, and will last about two minutes. We recommend the Cantabrian coast and its clear horizon to position ourselves with views towards the West as Cape Peña, Oviedo. The spectacle promises to be ephemeral but intense over the sea with seabirds reacting remarkably to these changes in luminosity. Asturias is very popular and pleasant during the summer, more so in 2026.
August 2, 2027: total eclipse in the morning
Almost a year later, on August 2, 2027, the next eclipse will be visible, this time in the southern peninsular and North Africa, where it will reach its maximum visibility. The totality band will cross the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea around 10:45 am, with a total phase that will reach about five minutes. The observing conditions will be ideal since the event will be observed at noon in the Andalusian sky, always clear during the summer. In fact, it is advisable to be cautious with the prevailing heat and brightness in our region. We will look for an observation point as close as possible to the Strait of Gibraltar. A challenge? To take the sea for the observation of cetaceans and the eclipse !
january 26, 2028: annular eclipse at sunset
On this occasion, the Moon will not completely cover the solar disk, but will leave a “ring of fire” visible. The band of annularity will cross the peninsula from southwest to east, passing through Seville, Cordoba, Albacete and Valencia, at around 18:00 h. The phenomenon will last about seven minutes and, at the end of the day, visibility will depend on the state of the sky. We will go to Doñana to combine the observation of wintering birds with the sunset over the Guadalquivir marshes.
Once, not usually, the two “artistic” images have been created by AI.
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