August 12 is just around the corner—the date of the first total solar eclipse visible in our country since 1905 —and, naturally, many people want to plan every detail for this exceptional astronomical event. Where can you view the eclipse? At what exact time will it occur? How should you use certified eclipse glasses to protect your eyes? Below is a summary of the most important information to keep in mind so you can safely admire the solar eclipse.
Where: Official viewing locations and the path of totality
The Community of Madrid will set up 52 official viewing sites, spread across different municipalities. At these locations, educational activities will be held, and brochures with recommendations for viewing the eclipse will be distributed, along with free certified eclipse glasses.
In Buitrago de Lozoya, the Eclipse Festival will also be held at the Riosequillo recreational area, featuring workshops, children’s games, and music. Some municipalities offer additional incentives to visit on the 12th, such as Pezuela de las Torres, where the astronomical phenomenon can be viewed amid fields of lavender.
The complete list of official viewing locations can be found on the regional government’s website. Not all of them are within the totality path, meaning that from some of them, a total eclipse will not be visible at any point. The difference will be very small, however; in the southwestern areas of the region where the Moon does not completely cover the Sun, the partial occultation of the Sun will exceed 99%.
Of course, the total eclipse will also be visible from many towns in the northeastern part of the Community of Madrid that do not have official viewing sites. In places where no public outreach events are planned—such as those where certified eclipse glasses will be distributed—it’s important to take precautions to protect your eyes and consult the recommendations for safely viewing the eclipse, for example, on the National Geographic Institute’s website.
To choose the perfect spot, you should also make sure there are no obstacles blocking the sky where the Sun will be on the 12th—that is, toward the west, near the horizon—since the eclipse will occur near sunset. To confirm this, it’s a good idea to visit the location where you plan to view the eclipse in advance.
In this regard, the Ministry of Science has launched an augmented reality web viewer that allows you to check whether, from a specific location, you’ll have an unobstructed view of the Sun when the eclipse occurs—that is, whether there will be any terrain in that direction that might block it, for example.
When: The exact time when the Moon will cover the Sun
In addition to the list of official viewing locations, the Community of Madrid has published a table that includes the exact time the eclipse will begin at each location. It also indicates how long the total phase will last.
Broadly speaking, in these municipalities in Madrid, the eclipse will begin between 7:35 p.m. and 7:36 p.m., and totality will end around 8:32 p.m. After totality ends, a partial eclipse will be visible again until sunset, which will occur around 9:19 p.m.
The length of time the Moon completely covers the Sun will vary from town to town. In some, such as Hoyo de Manzanares or Los Molinos, it will last less than thirty seconds, while in others, such as Somosierra or Prádera del Rincón, the total eclipse will last for nearly a minute and a half.
How: Free certified eclipse glasses to protect your eyes
To view an eclipse, you should not look through homemade filters, cameras without solar filters, or glasses that are scratched or not certified. While looking at the Sun without protection on any given day is already dangerous, doing so during an eclipse can cause irreversible damage. Fortunately, getting the right glasses is very easy.
The Madrid City Council has been distributing certified eclipse glasses since July 17 and will continue to do so until August 12 at various locations throughout the city. These include the Madrid Planetarium, the Madrid History Museum, the San Isidro Museum, the Municipal Printing House–Artes el Libro, Conde Duque, and municipal libraries.
In addition, the central government and ONCE are also distributing millions of free eclipse glasses suitable for viewing the eclipse both at ONCE lottery ticket outlets and at 30 science centers throughout Spain, which are listed in detail on the Ministry of Science’s website. Three of them are in the Community of Madrid:
- The National Museum of Science and Technology, in Alcobendas.
- The National Museum of Natural Sciences, in Madrid.
- The Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid.
Even with the glasses on, you should not stare at the eclipse for an extended period. In a joint statement, the government and ONCE have detailed how to use the glasses safely: “Put on the glasses before looking at the Sun, look briefly for a few seconds, and then look away; repeat observing the eclipse, always taking breaks in between. Finally, remove the glasses only after looking away from the Sun.”