eclipse

why 3 euro cardboard glasses protect your eyes from an eclipse better than 100 euro sunglasses

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If you have in mind see the solar eclipse this August 12you may have already started searching approved glasses. Many shops they have jumped on the car and they are launching offers at a very reduced price. Although the truth is that, honestly, it is not necessary to lower the cost much, since the price of eclipse glasses is extremely cheap. And of course, for some people, it is very shocking, since they insist actively and passively that conventional sunglasses do not work for us, but how can my 100-euro Ray-Ban not be worth it and some cardboard glasses that cost me 3 are worth it? With this, as with many things in life, we see that price is not everything. They are not lying to us when they tell us that sunglasses are worthless. They also don’t scam us by selling us eclipse glasses for only 3 euros. The inflated prices of brand name sunglasses can sometimes hurt us like a scam, although everyone is free to set the prices for their brand that they see fit. But let’s focus on the science of approved glasses. How can something so technically necessary be so cheap to produce? There is not so much technical complexity. Eclipse glasses are designed to be used once in a very long time, if at all. Normally, the person who wears them just look at the sky and, at most, around it. You don’t have to drive, walk, or read anything. You just stop and look at the Sun. For this reason, all you need is a very basic frame, sometimes made of cardboard, and two filters, one for each eye. Sunglasses, on the other hand, must be functional, which requires greater technical complexity. If they are graduated, It is necessary that they have an adequate curvature. This is not necessary in itself for non-prescription sunglasses, but it is often also done to give them a more enveloping effect, especially if they are aimed at sports. On the other hand, the glass of the sunglasses is carved, polished and treated to improve visibility and prevent scratches. For this reason, their manufacture is more expensive, while the price of eclipse glasses is very low. Simple but essential filters. The really important thing about approved eclipse glasses is that they have good filters. These must comply with the regulations EN ISO 12312-2:2015which ensures that no more than 0.00032% of visible sunlight is allowed to pass through. Sunglasses, on the other hand, are designed to avoid indirect damage, but not to look directly at the Sun, so a transmittance of 3% is sufficient in the highest protection categories. The filters used to achieve this great light blocking in eclipse glasses are manufactured with a black polymer or resin with carbon particles. The most used polymer is reflective Mylar.. Then, on top of the polymer, they have thin layers of aluminum, chrome or silver, which help optimize filtering. They are not difficult materials to obtain in the necessary quantities, so the final price is not exorbitant. There is no exclusivity, another reason for the price of eclipse glasses. Even if cheap materials are used, the filter still costs money. The thing is that, unlike what usually happens with sunglasses, eclipse glasses are usually produced on very large scales. Exclusivity is not sought nor does anything happen because there are many identical glasses. That, in the end, reduces costs a lot. Furthermore, with sunglasses we often pay for the brand and that is something that, logically, does not matter with glasses approved for viewing the eclipse. Even given as gifts. Producing these glasses is so cheap that some brands, businesses and institutions are already giving them away to ensure that we all see the eclipse on August 12 safely. In Spain, this will be the first of three eclipses in three consecutive years; So, contrary to usual, you will need these glasses again very soon. Whatever you buy, don’t get rid of them. Of course, if you see that the filter is broken or scratched, the protective metal layers may be damaged and good filtering is no longer guaranteed. In that case, buy others. After all, they are justifiably very cheap. Image | Magnific/NASA In Xataka | A third of Spain will be completely dark for a minute or two. The astronomical event of the century is approaching

There are already airlines planning flights to see the solar eclipse from the air: is it worth it?

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The solar eclipse on August 12, 2026 will not be seen in Belgium in full totalitybut they are going to express the bias in a very curious way: planning a flight to see it from the air. It will be carried out by the Brussels Airlines companyin collaboration with the Urania Public Observatory, the University of Antwerp and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). In Spain, at the moment, there are companies using the solar eclipse only as a teaser. This is the case of Lufthansa, which is sending emails to its customers encouraging them to fly with them during the eclipse. However, for now they have not planned any specific flights, as the Belgian company has done. Better without clouds. The advantage of viewing a solar eclipse from the air is that commercial flights usually travel above the clouds, usually at altitudes between 9,000 and 13,000 meters. This allows you to see the solar eclipse without the obstruction of clouds, but also without other atmospheric distortions. In the case of the eclipse that will be seen in Spain this August 12, 2026, totality will take place around sunset. With the Sun so low on the horizon, it will be very important that the skies are sufficiently clear and clean to enjoy it in all its splendor. In Belgium the Moon will cover, in the best of cases, 91% of the Sun. It will also happen around sunset, so for Brussels Airlines, its proposal may be a good way to see it in this very particular situation. The details. The flight will leave Brussels for France at 7:20 p.m. and will arrive back in Belgian territory at 9:20 p.m. The maximum occultation of the Sun will take place at 8:21 p.m., in the middle of the trip. The 100 people who have purchased the flights will have plenty of space to observe the solar eclipse, since aisle seats will not be sold, in order to have greater visibility. The experience will be accompanied at all times by the comments of an expert from the Urania observatory and, of course, with protection, since the company will distribute approved glasses to all passengers. All for the modest? price of 299 euros. There are already testimonies. In reality, this will not be a pioneering trip. During the solar eclipse of 2024, for example, many American airlines planned flights specifically for observation. Furthermore, there are eclipse chasers who, after seeing many of these phenomena from the ground, wanted to try the experience in small planes. This is, for example, the case of Glenn Schneider, who in 2017 told in statements to Space that the image is very different from what is seen from the ground. With the air cleaner and the eclipse below, rather than above, it is easier to see the solar corona and specific details such as Baily’s pearls. In Spain what? Spain has already organized a multitude of parties and activities around the solar eclipse on August 12. At the moment, it does not seem that it has organized any flights, like the one that will be organized in Belgium. In this country they have wanted to hurry up, ensuring that there will not be another similar opportunity until September 2090. In Spain, luckily, there will be another solar eclipse within a single year. Perhaps this is the time for companies to get on the organized travel bandwagon. Image | Magnific/Wikimedia Commons In Xataka | Puertomingalvo, the Teruel town of 130 inhabitants that has been without free beds for the eclipse for more than a year

“Recording an eclipse with your cell phone is a mistake, we are going to miss the show”

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Solar eclipses have gone through many phases throughout history. First they became objects of worship or spreaders of panic, depending on the civilization we are talking about. Later, once their origin was better understood, they became a very specific but extremely useful tool for astronomers, as it was the only way they could study the solar corona. Nowadays, no one (or almost no one) fears eclipses and scientists have tools that can replace them when studying the corona. However, they have not stopped being special. Now we have entered a new phase. A stage in which society enjoys them Instead of fearing them, scientists witness from the outside how the love of heaven that one day led them to choose their profession arises in other people. I have talked about this and much more with David Galadiastronomer, professor at the University of Córdoba and member of the Scientific and Advisory Commission of the Trio of Eclipses. The end of an era For a long time, solar eclipses have been used to study qualities of the Sun or Moon that are not normally measurable or visible. A solar eclipse was even used to prove Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. However, possibly those that stand out the most are the studies on the solar crown. That is, the outermost layer of the solar atmosphere. It is composed mostly of plasma, an ionized gas, whose atoms have gained or lost electrons, acquiring an electrical charge. This moving gas is what makes up the solar winds. It is also in the corona that coronal mass ejections are formed, which serve as the origin of geomagnetic storms. For all this, studying the solar corona is essential for scientists. However, there is a problem. The center of the Sun is so bright and it has such a dim glow that normally cannot be seen with conventional observation instruments. There is only one exception: a total solar eclipse. When the Moon completely covers the Sun, its brightness can no longer hide the solar corona from us and it suddenly appears in the sky. For decades, scientists had a few minutes with each eclipse to study it. Nowadays, fortunately, it is no longer necessary, since there are coronagraphsinstruments that have the ability to artificially “eclipse” both the Sun and other stars, revealing what we normally cannot see. However, there are still a few qualities that can only be studied in eclipses. “Coronographs cover not only the solar disk, but must also cover, due to unavoidable design needs, the chromosphere and the lowest part of the solar corona,” explains Galadí. “However, these regions can be observed well during a total solar eclipse.” On the other hand, “the coronagraph removes light from the solar photosphere, but does not reduce the brightness of the overall sky, so the outermost and faintest parts of the corona are also lost using these instruments.” Therefore, today we know the Sun and the Moon much better. The theory of general relativity continues to be constantly tested with new discoveries in the field of astronomy. And yes, you can study the solar corona without having to see a solar eclipse. However, these instruments prevent us from seeing it with the same clarity that we see it when the Moon completely eclipses the Sun. “Here we have the only two residues of heliophysics for which eclipses are still useful: the study of the link between the solar photosphere and the middle corona through the chromosphere and the lower corona, and to analyze the outermost coronal regions”. Now, in the future solar eclipses will not be necessary even for that; Well, there are already two missions underway aimed at solving the problem. “The observation of the external corona from space, with coronagraphs on artificial satellites, such as the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) of the European Space Agency in collaboration with NASA, avoids all the disadvantages due to the Earth’s atmosphere and its brightness,” says the astronomer from the University of Córdoba. “In addition, we have great technological innovations such as those of the mission Proba-3 (also from ESA), which are already allowing us to study the chromosphere and the lower corona from space, precisely by creating artificial eclipses.” Does all this mean that scientists will no longer have anything to study during a solar eclipse? Perhaps for astronomers there will come a time when they can focus only on looking at the sky and enjoying themselves. For other scientistssuch as those specialized in animal behavioralthough some studies had already been published previously, the real party begins now. “In animal ethology it is interesting study behavior when a sudden night occurs, uncoupled from other circadian rhythms,” says Galadí. “The behaviors of species when ‘turning off’ the Sun suddenly can only be due to the change in ambient light and temperature, but not to other external or internal factors.” The solar eclipse is now for society This August 12, 2026, there will be thousands or even millions of people who will travel or look for the best places near their homes to view the solar eclipse. These astronomical phenomena have become milestones that transcend far beyond science. It is time for society to enjoy them. David Galadí is clear about it: “Total solar eclipses are no longer science, or have almost ceased to be science, but they continue to constitute great natural spectacles with enormous potential to surprise people.” This can occur at many levels. “They have power as a source of artistic inspiration, tourist resourcean inexhaustible source of didactic or informative applications, and the ability to awaken vocations.” In fact, the latter is something in which he himself sees himself reflected. “Great astronomical events mark people, I myself am a product of the astronomical fever of Halley’s comet in the eighties.” In Spain we have a great opportunity, because It is not a single eclipse. Next year we will have another total solar eclipse and in 2028 an annular eclipse, which will provide new opportunities to enjoy them … Read more

In 2024, an eclipse wiped out 14 gigawatts from the Texas power grid. It is the best clue of what awaits Spain

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On April 8, 2024, at 12:15 noon, 13.8 gigawatts of sunlight entered the grid in Texas. Forty five minutes later 800 megawatts left: The Sun had gone out. It is true that the gas covered the gap, that the batteries helped overcome the pothole and that no one found out about anything. But that eclipse and everything we learned from it are the best possible information to understand what is going to happen to Spain’s electrical grid this August 12. What will happen? That’s the curious thing. On August 12, 2026, when the shadow of the Moon cross Spain from A Coruña to Mahónnothing is going to happen. Absolutely nothing. And not because we have a model electrical grid, nor because (since the blackout) we have done our homework. Nothing will happen because it will be half past eight in the afternoon. What happened in Texas. According to ERCOT datathe Texan operator, photovoltaics went from 27.6% of the electricity mix to 1.7% and then back to 27% in just two hours. The gas filled around 80% of the gap and the batteries helped as well (with, around, 1.4 GW). The thing is that during the Texan midday there is a lot of sunlight. Between 8:28 p.m. and 8:32 p.m., the Sun It will be just 12 degrees above the horizon in Galicia and only 2 in the Balearic Islands: Solar energy available on the grid will already be very scarce. That is, the eclipse will arrive in Spain when the photovoltaics will already be turning off by themselves. So nothing will happen? Although there are no official forecasts yet published, calculations indicate that the eclipse will add a second-order disturbance: the loss it can cause (between 4-5 GW) is in the order that the network usually handles on August afternoons. Shouldn’t cause too many problems this August. And “this August” are the key words. Because if we are wondering about the impact of the eclipse in Spain, perhaps we are looking at the wrong eclipse. On August 2, 2027, between 10:45 and 11:20 in the morning, we will see how The Moon will cover a minimum of 70% of the solar disk throughout the national territory (85% in Madrid and close to 100% in Cádiz and Málaga). That will be a test for the electrical grid because 65% of Spain’s photovoltaic park is in Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura and, at that time, it will be in full ascending ramp. And are we prepared? To tell the truth, it shouldn’t catch us by surprise. The Government has already created a commission with thirteen ministries for the trio of eclipses 2026-2028. However, today, we do not have a public plan for the network in 2027 and it would not be bad if someone started talking about this. Image | Luis Olmos | Martijn Baudoin In Xataka | A unique opportunity of 1 minute and 40 seconds: what citizens can contribute to science during the eclipse

the towns with the Starlight seal that are preparing for the total eclipse on August 12

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When watching a solar eclipse we can make many different decisions. It is possible to see it within the range of totality or to “conform” with partiality. We have the option of looking only at the Sun or delighting in the changes happening around us. We can even see it directly, with approved glassesor indirectly, with a pinhole camera. But if there is something that makes a lot of difference when it comes to seeing one of these spectacles that astronomy gives us, it is a sky free of light pollution. At least, as free as possible. Therefore, the Starlight reservations and destinations They are ideal places for those who want to see the solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. What are Starlight certifications? The Starlight Seal is delivered to spaces in which a commitment has been established to defend the quality of the night sky and access to starlight. The decision to deliver these certifications was made at the 2009 meeting of the Starlight Initiative of the ‘Working Group on Reserves and World Heritage’ organized by UNESCO, with the support of the International Union of Astronomy and the World Tourism Organization. There are different types of Starlight certifications, although the two most common are Starlight reserves and Starlight tourist destinations. Normally, the first is delivered to natural spaces and consists, in turn, of three defined zones: Core zone: Where the natural lighting conditions and sharpness of the night sky are kept intact. Buffer zone: It surrounds the core zone and cushions possible adverse effects that may deteriorate the quality of your night sky. These zones may include small human settlements and activity areas. General area area: It consists of the general use area in which population settlements are located that can influence the evolution of the quality of the night sky of the entire reserve. With respect to Starlight tourist destinations, they are visitable places that have very good qualities for contemplating the starry skies and that, being protected from light pollution, become ideal places to carry out astrotourism activities. Beyond these two types, even towns and cities, parks, landscapes, trails, campsites and hotels and rural houses can also receive the Starlight seal independently. What are the Starlight destinations and reservations in Spain? Starligh certification is not at all easy to obtain. The requirements are very strict, so there are few natural sites and destinations that have it around the world. In the case of Spain, we have more than 70 destinations and more than 20 Starlight reservations. The largest reserve in the world is Sierra Morenain Andalusia, with more than 400,000 hectares distributed among 57 municipalities and six natural parks. But Sierra Morena is not in the zone of totality of the solar eclipse. We will be able to enjoy its skies during partiality. It is also a good plan for people from the south who do not want to travel too far. However, it is worth knowing the places with said certification that are within the totality range. What are the Starlight destinations to see the solar eclipse? Within the solar eclipse totality band there are 31 Starlight destinations. The greatest concentration of these destinations is in the autonomous communities of Galicia, Navarra and Aragón, although there are also other points scattered throughout the rest of the autonomous communities that make up said strip. Some of the Starlight destinations contain activities of interest for the eclipse, such as the ringing of bells that will ring in the Navarrese town of Lerín or the activities for the whole family at the observatory Borobia, in Soria. In addition, it should be noted that the Allande area, in Asturias, is the Starlight destination where the totality will last the longest, with 1 minute and 48 seconds. If you have questions about the place where you are going to see the solar eclipse and want to know if it has the Starlight destination seal, You can see it on our interactive map. Above all, remember not only to look for Starlight destinations, but also observation points clear of mountains, buildings or trees in the west, since that is where the Sun will be seen at the time the eclipse will take place. Image | Magnificent In Xataka | The trio of eclipses that await Spain on the horizon: an unprecedented and historic chain between 2026 and 2028

The municipality of Cuenca is perfect to see the eclipse: the only problem is that it is an incomprehensible gibberish

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Could you draw the map of your town or city from memory? Well, now imagine that it breaks into two pieces, and that to get from one to the other without leaving your own municipality you have to cross half a mountain range. Come on, you have to stick a piece of cellophane on it as if it were a bridge and overlap parts. That is Cuenca every day: a city council that governs 911.6 square kilometers distributed like someone bursting a vase against the map of Castilla-La Mancha. A Rorschach test that falls apart in the hands of more than one property registrar. Was it so difficult to do things well? An empire made of grass, stone and mountains. It seems not. Only thirteen municipalities of the 8,119 that Spain has exceed the size of Cuenca capital. The largest is Cáceres; Within the region itself, Almodóvar del Campo and Albacete also win. But more than 80% of that territory is forest. It is, by far, the municipality with the most forest mass in Spain and is at the top in Europe, a title that many sources mistakenly attribute to Geneva. Not in vain does it pour water into two different seas: the Júcar, which crosses the territory up to five times, dies in the Mediterranean. The Cuervo and the Escabas, tributaries of the Tagus, flow into the Atlantic. The Spanish territorial organization, based on the assignments of 1833 by the “reformist” absolutist Javier de Burgos, is based on municipalities linked by proximity to the nearest province. The objective was clear: that no town would take more than a day’s work to reach its provincial capital. Cuenca thought otherwise. The forum that started it all. Guilt is medieval.In 1177 Alfonso VIII gave the newly conquered Cuenca its entire territory.. We talk about mountains, pastures, rivers, salt mines and mines. The limits, for another day. In the mid-18th century the city already controlled more than 208,000 bushels of pasture, a third of the entire mountain range. Neighboring towns, starting with Huélamo, had been trying to find land for generations: lawsuits with Beamud in 1750, boundary disputes with Valdemeca, illegal crops in the Cuenca pastures of Valduerguinas and El Codorno to prevent the capital’s flocks from grazing there. And so, crumb by crumb, in 1804 Huélamo and Tragacete fought over the same usurpations as their grandparents. The historian José María Sánchez Benito, who has dedicated a good part of his work to the territorial articulation of the Land of Cuenca in the Late Middle Ages,documented how the Cuenca council itself actively decided which villages retained population status and which were declared depopulated. And this implies direct fiscal and territorial consequences: the village without sufficient population lost its territory to the neighboring town with more weight. The current map, according to their work, is a scar from centuries of small administrative wars. The fight continues. That habit of discussing every meter has not died. Cuenca and Albarracín (Teruel) have been litigating since the end of the 19th century over El Entredicho, a 2,000-hectare mountain at the very source of the Tagus River. We count it in 2024: The National Geographic Institute ruled in favor of Albarracín, the Ministry of Territorial Policy ratified the decision, and Cuenca appealed to the National Court, where the case remains open. Elena Camacho, head of the Territorial Delimitations service at the National Geographic Institute, explains the dilemma of the mess: when the first official boundaries were drawn at the end of the 19th century, “they went to the priest, who was generally the one who knew how to write, and they asked him to draw a map of what his town was like.” That sketch, made without instruments or GPS, is the legal basis that is still being discussed today by civil engineers, lawyers and two entire autonomous communities. 180, 130 or 60 kilometers? The figures vary depending on who calculates them: some speak of 180 kilometers in a straight line between the extreme north and the south, and almost 300 by road; others, more conservative, lower it to just over 60. The real record for municipal remoteness in Spain is held by Almería, whose term includes the island of Alborán, 92 kilometers from the coast. And although the exact figure for Cuenca is disputed, what no one disputes is that it takes more than half a day by car to cross the municipality from end to end without leaving it. What’s more, we can even consider “islands” in its strict sense. Among tiny towns, with their own town hall, completely surrounded by the municipality of Cuenca, stands outVega del Codorno, which only has a border with Cuenca. In almost 33 km² it has just over 140 inhabitants. HE split from Tragacete less than a century ago. Before they were Vega del Codorno de Abajo and de Arriba. Tragacete, in turn, also borders only Cuenca. Poyatos would limit the same if it were not for a strip attached to it, Huerta de Marojales, which belongs to Cañizares—a municipality with which it does not even border. And Buenache de la Sierra and Palomera share an enclave without being the same town. Crazy. An eclipse to make peace. What is clear is that Spanish geography will do its thing again, in a good way, on August 12, 2026. The city of Cuenca will be one of the few Spanish provincial capitals within the band of totality of the first visible total solar eclipse on the peninsula. In more than a century. And it will look luxurious. The total phase will arrive at 20:32, last between 54 and 56 seconds, with the Sun just 6 degrees above the horizon to the west-northwest, and will set shortly after, at 21:09. We will have to look for a clear viewpoint on that side – the Serranía has plenty; The mythical ones are the Ventano del Diablo, near Villalba de la Sierra, and Castillo de Cañete, less crowded, higher, better for many. Any … Read more

Albarracín is one of the best places in Spain to see the eclipse. And also the biggest cartographic hell in the country

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What if when you changed streets in your town you moved to another? How does this affect the cadastral level? What demonym do you use if in reality your region is “kidnapped” by others? In Spain there is a riddled place in its cartography and that place is called Albarracín, a municipality in the province of Teruel (Aragón) which, for centuries, was surrounded by villages that sought autonomy, organized themselves into their own community and ended up purchasing their independence in 1689, which fragmented the term into 24 municipalities that today act as enclaves within their territory. A political-administrative delirium that goes from the medieval to the modern and leaves us with an impossible map that on August 12 will also be one of the best viewpoints of the total eclipse. A map full of holes. To the southwest of Teruel and with just over a thousand inhabitants, Albarracín is one of the strangest terms in Spain. Within its term there are “islands” that do not belong to Albarracín, but to villages separated centuries ago. 24 independent municipalities, just like that. These fitted pieces de facto delimit the territory, generating a network of villages that turns the map into a puzzle. And how does this affect day to day life? For example, selling a plot of land in Albarracín requires surgeon-like precision. Before closing the operation, it is necessary to check with a magnifying glass which municipality governs that land, if the plot matches exactly between Cadastre and Registry, and if its boundaries have changed due to the history of the municipal area. In such a fragmented area, the problem is usually not “the sale” itself, but the identification of the property: if there are discrepancies in area, space or limits, if rectifications, annexes or extra certificates appear and, sometimes, topographic measurements to prevent the buyer from inheriting a lawsuit or a tax surprise. Something as obvious as in which municipality the IBI is settled is here a geological escape room. At a legal level, Any conflict of boundaries, easements or discrepancy between Cadastre and deed may delay the signing. A problem of mountains and boundaries. First it was an independent manor (that of the Azagra). Later, after the conquest by Pedro III in 1284, the Christian repopulation of the area and the definitive incorporation of the city to the Crown of Aragon around 1300, Albarracín remained the center of a large mountain territory. At the beginning of the 14th century, the towns of the mountains began to organize themselves into a supra-municipal entity distinct from the city to manage mountains, pastures and taxes and, above all, to gain margin against the Albarracinense tutelage. That early structure had few powers at first, but over time it reinforced its autonomy and prepared the ground for jurisdictional rupture. Buy independence. In 1689 the point of no return arrived, when that entity was formalized as the Community of Villages of Albarracín. A jurisdictional separation granted by Charles II himself. Thus he managed to definitively separate from the city. The villages paid 45,000 ducats to achieve full jurisdictional separation, becoming their own municipalities under the umbrella of the Community. From this process, among others, Bronchales, Gea de Albarracín, Orihuela del Tremedal, Tramacastilla, Griegos, Jabaloyas or Villar del Cobo were born, which today circumvent or directly pierce the original terminus. It’s sesmas time. To understand this community we must talk about its four “sesmas” (Jabaloyas, Bronchales, Royuela and Frías). These blocks grouped villages and resources into subdistricts. Each municipality inherited scattered plots, hills and pastures, creating a mosaic that makes you laugh at private property in Ireland. Small portions nested within each other whose seal, under political geography, has its own administration: they are defined as enclaves. And in Albarracín they are counted in dozens. Wars and Carlists. The Community of Villages remained a public law institution for almost two centuries, coexisting with the city of Albarracín. Until the Carlist Wars and their great liberal provincial reform dissolved it, in 1833. The Spanish administrative map was reorganized and Albarracín, with a Carlist tendency, was occupied by liberal troops, punishing the region for a conflict that neither went nor came to them. But no one beat the stubborn ones and the new division maintained the multiplicity of municipalities. Decades passed and these municipalities continued to function independently within the province of Teruel. We are already talking about the 20th century and even the 21st: Albarracín is a heritage and tourist reference. In 2003, the Government of Aragon created the Sierra de Albarracín region through Law 1/2003which once again grouped Albarracín and its 24 municipalities into the same regional entity. The region respects the municipal boundaries, so the cartographic hell persists, but with a layer of supra-municipal coordination that is reminiscent of the ancient medieval community. Total eclipse over the labyrinth. As the great Bonnie Tyler sang, may she rest in peace, the “total eclipse” will bathe these lands. Cartographic irony wants the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026 to cross Spain from west to east at sunset and cross the Sierra de Albarracín. This area is, without a doubt, one of the best viewpoints in the entire world. In Albarracin, The partial eclipse will begin around 19:36:45totality will begin at 20:30:59, reaching its maximum at 20:31:46 with the Sun only 6 degrees high and magnitude 1.032. It will end at 20:32:32, with the end of the partial around 21:04, already close to sunset. And what are the best viewpoints? Note: the natural space of Rodeno, that of Muela de San Juan in Griegos, that of Santa Barbara in GuadalaviarEl Batán in Tramacastilla and Carrizuelo in Villar del Cobo, although Santos de la Piedra in Pozondón and Alto Cabezo in Saldón are also great. Let us keep in mind that, for the eclipse, what is important is the west orientation, the height and a clean horizon. The Sierra de Albarracín starts with that natural advantage: little light pollution, high relief and a network of ideal … Read more

The residents of this Soria town are going to host tourists in their own homes for the August eclipse

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The entire strip of solar eclipse what will be seen in Spain this August 12, 2026 has fallen into a curious area. Many of the best-positioned towns belong to emptied Spain, a region to which, possibly, people who would never have considered including them in their vacations will travel. These people will be lucky enough to discover very charming places and, why not? a different way of tourism. Eclipses are spectacular phenomena, with very good press, that attract people from all over the world; but, in reality, astronomical tourism is a reality that more and more travelers joinregardless of whether there are extreme events on the calendar. And the truth is that within the totality strip there are towns that have been exploiting this form of tourism for a long time. This is, for example, the case of Borobia. This Soria town of 218 inhabitants It has an astronomical observatory in which informative activities have been carried out for 24 years. I have been able to speak with Azahara Rojas Ronceroastrophysicist and astronomer at said observatory, to tell me what plans they have for the solar eclipse. The reality is that, despite the small size of the town, they tend to always have a lot of people in their astronomical tourism activities. However, like many other towns, this phenomenon will allow them to have their fill. Never better said. Borobia, an ideal place to see the solar eclipse Borobia, like most of the province of Soria, has the Starlight seal. That means that They have skies with very little light pollution, ideal for observing the firmament. Many of the points that are within the band of totality of the solar eclipse this August have this certificate. However, Borobia has added advantages. On this occasion, the eclipse will occur at a time very close to sunset, so we will have to look to the west to see it. There, according to Rojas Roncero, lies Borobia’s great advantage. “In Borobia we have the hills right on the other side, on the east side, and the flatter area faces us to the west area,” he explains. “Therefore, the observation point is perfect, because we have a very open horizon and right on the other side we have a high area where we can see it.” For her, it has been a kind of gift from heaven for having been looking at it for 24 years. The ideal date This solar eclipse will be located in a perfect area, with wonderful skies to see it. But it will also take place at a unique moment, coinciding with the peak of the perseids. During the two minutes of totality you will be able to see some of the brightest stars in the sky, but hardly a Perseid. For that we need more time in the dark, eyes well adapted to it and a little luck. However, those who have taken advantage of the solar eclipse to start astrotourism have an appointment with the sky once the Sun has completely left. Borobia Observatory In fact, Borobia is an ideal site for these observations. Not just because of everything we have already seen. Also because in their Observatory they carry out activities such as March of the Perseidsin which visitors will take a night walk, while listening to legends of mythology and looking at the sky in search of a Perseid. In addition, at the end of the route there are telescopes ready for observation. Other activities Both on the day of the solar eclipse and the days before and after it, a multitude of activities will be carried out in Borobia, including night and day observations of the sky, walks through the Perseids, workshops and presentations by experts from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and the Astronomy Classroom of Armilla (Granada). There will even be concerts and food trucks. a whole festival to enjoy the sky of Soria in such a special event. What about accommodations? Borobia is a very small municipality, with very few accommodations; that, the same as in Puertomingalvo and many other towns in the totality strip, have been full for more than a year. For this reason, the town has used its imagination to be able to serve all the tourists who will travel there for the solar eclipse. To begin, Rojas Roncero says that camping areas have been set upwith access to bathrooms and showers. But this is not enough if the thousands of people who are believed to be able to travel there arrive. That’s why, An appeal has been made to the residents of Borobia themselveslooking for some who are willing to rent rooms in their houses. The request has been well received and several have agreed to accommodate tourists who come there on the occasion of the solar eclipse. What else can you see in Borobia? We have seen that Borobia is an ideal place for astronomical tourism. But the good thing about this tourism is that it goes very well with other ways of visiting new places. It is often a magnificent occasion to enjoy a perfect blend of heritage and nature. In the case of this town in Soria, those who travel there you will be able to enjoy of monuments such as the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Medieval Castle. In addition, they will enjoy natural sites such as the Gandalia lagoon, the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de los Santos and the Sabinar de Ciria y Borobia. All of these enclaves are perfect for hiking, with routes such as the Vuelta al Moncayo and the Yeseras. Hermitage of Our Lady of Saints In short, Borobia is an ideal place to enjoy the solar eclipse while discovering those hidden treasures of emptied Spain. For those responsible for the observatory, this eclipse will be a gift from heaven, but surely its visitors will not be left indifferent either. Image | Diego Delso | Borobia Observatory In Xataka | Leo … Read more

This is how nature reacts to a solar eclipse

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Humans are not the only animals that we are guided by circadian cycles. Many other animals, and even some plants, undergo ordered physiological changes in 24-hour cycles. Here, light is of great importance. There are animals that increase their activity in the dark, while others do the opposite. There are also plants that close their flowers and fold their leaves at night, while others, especially in drought conditions, prefer darkness to open in all their splendor. Therefore, it is actually not strange that one of the most curious effects of a solar eclipse are, precisely, the behavioral changes in animals and plants. Although the solar eclipse this August 12, 2026 It will be the first time in which it is studied how it affects the circadian rhythms of people, in the case of animals and plants there are already many records and published studies. In all of them, as well as in the testimonies of those who have witnessed the eclipses, there are some very interesting data. Nervous, lazy and confused animals due to the solar eclipse One of the first people to study how a solar eclipse affects nature was the New England entomologist William Wheeler. In 1932, he called on citizens to record all changes in the behavior of animals and plants that caught their attention during one of these phenomena. received more than 500 testimonies about birds, mammals, insects and plants. Among them, for example, the cases of bees that returned to their hives or owls that began to hoot in broad daylight stood out. The case of bees has been recorded on many more occasions. In fact, during an eclipse in Idaho in 2017 it caught the attention of many people that the bumblebees stopped buzzing. That same year, at a South Carolina zoothe animals’ caretakers were fascinated by their behaviors. They reported that 75% of them had some strange behavior. In some cases it was nervousness and in others it was a change in routines. That is, the nocturnal animals began their activity, while the diurnal animals stopped it. The remaining 25% were quite lazy. They remained as if nothing had happened. Regarding those who got nervous, The case of giraffes stands out, who began to run in terror. This has been reported in other zoos and, although it is not so easy to measure in nature, the same thing possibly happens, basically because at night they must hide from predators. Seeing that the sun disappears, they realize that they are already too late to flee. Among the behavioral changes they detected at the zoo, one of the most curious is that of the turtles that began to mateeven without being necessarily nocturnal animals for this type of habits. The darkness of the eclipse must have seemed magical for sex. Another curious fact is that, during eclipses, crickets usually start singing and? the cattle move to the stables. But, without a doubt, the most curious behavior is that of the birds. In 2018, scientists verified the global change in their behavior with a curious study. Instead of analyzing bird by bird, they measured the total amount of biological matter in the air during the eclipse. This is done using a signal that a radar emits and measures its return, more or less like sonar. That value, called reflectivity, is different for a bird or bat than for something inorganic, like a storm cloud. Therefore, global behavioral changes could be measured in all flying animals. On a normal day, this value reaches its maximum at dusk, as this is when most birds begin their nocturnal migrations. However, when they measured it during an eclipse, it plummeted. The birds that were flying They stopped dead and went down to the ground or the branches, possibly to take shelter, as if a storm were coming. What happens to the plants? There are also many testimonies of changes in plants and, of course, it has been analyzed by scientists. For example, in 2017 a study was carried out with four plants that normally show measurable changes with changes in light. These were, first of all, mimosa and oxalis, They normally close their leaves at night. The other two were corn and soybeans stressed by drought, since in these conditions they do the opposite: they fold their leaves during the day and open them at night. During the eclipse, it was seen that there are plants that are “deceived” by this phenomenon and others that do not change their behavior when darkness and temperature changes occur for such a short time. Among the unstressed plants, the mimosa did experience changes and “confused” the eclipse with the night, but the oxalis did not. Of the stressed ones, the corn continued its normal behavior, but the soybeans did open their leaves as if it were dusk. In short, it seems that all living beings are driven a little crazy by eclipses. But, almost always, crazy in the good sense of the word. That is why there is so much expectation with the Iberian trio that we will be able to enjoy from this very month of August. Image | Magnificent In Xataka | A third of Spain will be completely dark for a minute or two. The astronomical event of the century is approaching

The eclipse divides the idyllic towns of Mallorca between fear of collapse and labor intrusion

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Next August 12, at eight o’clock in the afternoon, a random town on the Mallorcan coast will have two eclipses ahead of it at the same time: that of the Sun and that of its own mobility model. Work intrusion. That is the concept that is echoing through the streets of municipalities such as Calvià, Marratxí, Puigpunyent, Esporles, Valldemossa or Deià. From Palma airport to the nightlife corners, the city’s various taxi drivers’ associations complain about transport pirate to which not enough blockages are being put in place. While some neighbors promise not to take their car out of the parking lot so as not to get into the mess, others set up improvised businesses to take tourists to the best viewpoint. An ideal destination. Mallorca is literally located at the end of the totality band of the solar eclipse. It is the last point in Spain to see the day go out for just over a minute, with the sun setting over the Mediterranean. Precious. In Palma, the National Geographic Institute estimates that the eclipse will begin around 19:38 and will reach its maximum around 8:32 p.m., with the Sun just 2 degrees above the horizon. That is, so low that any building, hill or mass of pine trees can blur the postcard. And of course, if the Astronomy and Astronautics Foundation of Mallorca has been explaining for months that not all areas of the island will see it the same, part of tourism will be at the mercy of this dynamic. The Government and the UIB have even organized “visibility exercises” so that people go to their supposed viewpoint and check whether, in practice, the sunset can be seen or not: a general rehearsal of what the battle for a piece of clean horizon will be like. The best view. Which is the best balcony, the best stone house with an open view to the west or the natural viewpoint most privileged? We already anticipated it: the coast of the Serra de Tramuntana and some sections of the southwest and southeast will be the ones that will start with an advantage. And the social networks They have been echoing this for some time: rural hotels like Cas Facebook groups specialists, climbing colleagues and interactive maps: it is not difficult to find even technical discussions about whether or not in such a town the Sun will be hidden by a ridge of pine trees at the decisive minute. The price of the eclipse. But while agencies and local businesses They take boat trips to see the eclipse from the open sea, with guides, a sunset glass and approved glasses included. Irregularities in transportation are a problem that no inspection seems to solve. Pirate transportation beyond the airport, with unauthorized cars and VTCs that attract clientele directly on the street, upsets the bosses of the foreign part. We are not just talking about Magaluf or Santa Ponça: private cars offer to make transfers even in minibuses, posting advertisements on WhatsApp. On paper, sanctions ranging from 15,000 up to 25,000 euros They fly over any vehicle that does not have a pre-contract, according to Law 4/2014 on Land Transport of the Balearic Islands. As stated the BOEany vehicle that picks up clients without this pre-contracting – especially VTC or discretionary – is, legally, in the field of illegally attracting clients and is classified as a serious or very serious infraction. The Formentera Council, for example, has already imposed sanctions of 6,001 euros for offering taxi services without authorization. Supply and demand. If on a normal Tuesday in August there is already work intrusion on the road, what happens when thousands of people choose the same minute to go to the same place? The influx of tourism is such – there is talk of prices ranging between 30-50 euros per hour – that it seems to compensate for some. PIMEM-Taxi (the Mallorcan Association of Self-Employed Taxi Workers Federated in Pimem) carries years denouncing that, as soon as the season starts, the “pirate taxis” advance their return to Son Sant Joan, operating with half a dozen illegal companies that take advantage of the gaps in the official service. This is the reason why Palma City Council limited 25% of the fleet to operate at the airport one week a month to guarantee service and prevent excess demand from being covered by individuals. More inspectors, less pirates. In the face of a conflict that has been existing for five yearsthe Government has reacted by reinforcing inspectors. Already in June it activated the ‘Table against intrusion‘ in transport and illegal tourist offer, coordinated by the general director of Mobility, Lorena del Valle. Taxi drivers do not believe that it is enough and that only strict police control will be able to stop all those improvised private plazas carrying tourists from here to there. The astronomical event of the century, which in the Balearic Islands is sold as a unique observation opportunity, is becoming an open-air laboratory of how this conflict is managed between the traditional approved taxi, the VTC and everyone who gets in the car and earns a few euros without going through the exit flag. Glasses and anxiety. The other main protagonist of the eclipse are the glasses: the Majorcan Astronomical Foundation has warned that they will be needed at least 100,000 units to meet citizen and tourist demand. And be careful, neither ordinary sunglasses, nor x-rays, nor homemade inventions are useful. Pharmacies, opticians and souvenir shops are being the distribution points, more or less improvised, with specific campaigns to prevent eye damage. In this mix of cosmological enthusiasm and logistical anxiety—reservations months in advance, neighbors who plan to “not go up to the viewpoint that day” for fear of collapse, and mayors who look askance at their summer mobility plans—the road is the boss. Not everything is rosy on the good side of the story, of course: rates skyrocket and waiting lines, on the key day, can ruin the moment. The … Read more

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