Overview
- A total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026 will cross a narrow path that includes parts of Spain, producing totality at sunset for specific towns and a short window of full darkness.
- Consumer authorities led by the Agència Catalana del Consum are inspecting roughly 75 models of eclipse eyewear for CE marking and compliance with UNE‑EN ISO 12312-2:2015 and will withdraw non‑compliant products from sale.
- Ophthalmologists warn that looking at the Sun without certified solar filters can cause irreversible retinal damage and that using unfiltered telescopes or binoculars or improvised filters like radiographs is especially dangerous.
- Municipalities inside the path have published concrete crowd and mobility plans, for example A Coruña’s operation of about 300 emergency personnel, road closures and free glasses distribution, and Guadalajara’s 5,000 parking spaces with frequent shuttle buses.
- The Observatorio Astronómico Nacional offers municipality‑by‑municipality timings and maps to guide safe viewing, and officials expect a surge of visitors that will test transport, local services and the supply of certified eyewear.