Spain solar eclipse 2026: how to watch safely

One of the fascinating things about tomorrow’s eclipse is that it is not a sudden event. The changes build gradually before an amazing few moments around totality.

1. First contact

The eclipse begins when the edge of the Moon appears to touch the edge of the Sun.

At first the change will be tiny. Viewed safely through eclipse glasses, it may simply look as though someone has taken a small bite out of the Sun.

2. The partial eclipse grows

Over the following tens of minutes, the Moon covers more and more of the solar disc.

The daylight will gradually become unusual. However, it may remain surprisingly bright even when most of the Sun has disappeared.

You should look around as well as up. Shadows may become sharper and small gaps between leaves can project dozens of tiny crescent-shaped Suns onto the ground.

3. Light and temperature begin to change

For people inside the path of totality, the final minutes will become much more dramatic.

Light levels fall quickly. The atmosphere can begin to resemble a very late sunset, and there may be a noticeable fall in temperature.

Birds and other animals might react to the sudden change in light as if evening has arrived unexpectedly

4. Look for the diamond ring and Baily’s beads

Just before totality, the remaining sunlight can create two very unusual visual effects.

The first is the diamond ring, when one brilliant point of sunlight appears beside the dark Moon.

Then you might see Baily’s beads. These are tiny points of sunlight shining through valleys and irregularities along the Moon’s surface.

It is important to remember that protective glasses must still be worn while any direct sunlight remains.

5. Totality

Then, only within the totality zone, the Sun disappears completely.

The dark disc of the Moon sits where the Sun had been, and the normally invisible solar corona appears around it like a glowing halo.

Bright stars could become visible as the surroundings will darken dramatically.

This is the ONLY brief phase when eclipse glasses may be removed, and only if you are definitely inside the totality path and the Sun is completely covered. The moment sunlight begins to reappear, the glasses must go back on.

If you are watching a partial eclipse anywhere else in Spain, it is important to keep the glasses on throughout the full experience.

6. Everything happens in reverse

The first bright point of sunlight marks the end of totality.

Baily’s beads and the diamond-ring effect could appear again before the Moon begins to slowly move away from the Sun.

By then, however, Spain’s unusual sunset timing means the Sun will be extremely low on the western horizon, and in some places it will set before every stage of the eclipse has finished.