In just 24 hours, our country’s astronomy enthusiasts will be able to enjoy one of the most awaited events of the year: the first partial solar eclipse which will take place during the morning of this October 25 and which can be seen from all the northeastern regions of the Iberian peninsula.
Although it is a very low-magnitude phenomenon, next Tuesday’s solar eclipse is eagerly awaited by astronomy enthusiasts, since since last June 10, 2021 that a similar event does not occur and will not repeat untilon October 14, 2023when the sky will give us another partial eclipse of even less magnitude than It can only be seen from a few points in the Canary Islands.
Luckily for amateur astronomers in the region, the eclipse on Tuesday, October 25 will be visible from large parts of Europe, northeastern Africa and western Asia. In Spain, the maximum magnitude that will be observed will touch only 0.12% of the solar diameter hidden by the Moon in Girona, 0.10% in Barcelona, and will remain below this figure for those who try to glimpse it from the rest of Catalonia, Aragon, Autonomous Community of Navarre, Basque Country, La Rioja, Cantabria , Asturias, the Balearic Islands and the north of Castilla y León and the Valencian Community, where only the most experienced eyes will be able to notice what is happening with the alignment of the stars.
This partial eclipse of the sun, as collected since National Geographic Institute (IGN), will start in the Atlantic Ocean at a latitude of +66º, near the coast of Iceland, and will end up in the Indian Ocean, at a latitude of +17º, 244 minutes later, so it shouldn’t be visible for more than four hours from anywhere on the planet.
The highest point of the eclipse can be seen from every point in Spain at a different time. In Barcelona and Girona the phenomenon will reach its peak at 12:07, in Oviedo at 11:55, in León at 11:56; in Santander and Palencia at 11:58, in Burgos at 11:59, in Donostia-San Sebastián, in Vitoria Gasteiz and in Logroño at 00:00, in Pamplona and Soria at 00:01, in Cuenca at 12:02, in Teruel and Zaragoza at 12:03, in Lleida and Valencia at 12:05 and in Palma de Mallorca at 12:09.
How to watch the partial solar eclipse safely
To enjoy any solar eclipse you need to take precautions. You should never look directly at the sun or use sunglasses only. To glimpse it without resorting to projections, it is necessary to use eclipse galas approved by the European Community which guarantee an opacity index equal to or greater than 5. Thus, You shouldn’t keep looking at the Sun for more than 30 seconds at a time. After this time, the view must be rested by placing it towards another point for a similar or longer time. Also, it should be remembered that eclipse glasses should not be used in conjunction with binoculars, telescopes, or other magnifying tools.
Another way to look at this phenomenon is using the projected image. Any solar eclipse that is not total can be seen without any risk to eye health by using an instrument that allows us to project sunlight onto a smooth background. in this caseor, with a mirror and a wall, we could make quite a powerful tool as if to reflect the eclipse.
Two total eclipses are coming
The Iberian Peninsula hasn’t seen a total solar eclipse since 1912 and the Canary Islands since 1959, but luckily that’s about to change. On August 12, 2026, in less than four years, a total solar eclipse will be observed over most of the country and will repeat itself on August 2, 2027, less than a year later.
The 2026 solar eclipse can be seen from Guadalajara, Teruel, Valencia, Castellón, Tarragona, Balearic Islands, Soria, Logroño, Burgos, Vitoria, Segovia, Valladolid, Palencia, Santander, Oviedo, León, Lugo and part of A Coruña; while that of a year later, can only be observed from the south of the peninsula and from the autonomous cities, especially from Cádiz, Málaga, Ceuta and Melilla.
