The longest solar eclipse that will leave Spain in darkness: when will it happen and in which cities can it be seen?

The world will literally shut down for a few minutes. Spain will be the protagonist of the so-called " Iberian Trio," a succession of three solar eclipses that will mark the country's astronomical history: they will occur in 2026, 2027, and 2028. Only the first two will be total, while the third will be annular, offering a different but equally impressive spectacle.

The first of these, in 2026, will be the first total eclipse visible from the Iberian Peninsula since 1912. The Moon will completely cover the Sun at sunset, plunging entire cities into sudden darkness while the horizon turns reddish. It will be a breathtaking moment that many will only experience once in their lifetime.

But the most impressive will come in 2027, with the second eclipse of the Iberian Trio, which will reach a maximum duration of 6 minutes and 23 seconds at its peak , becoming one of the longest eclipses recorded in modern times, according to The Economic Times . It has only been surpassed by the eclipse of July 11, 1991, which lasted 7 minutes and 2 seconds and could be seen mainly in Mexico, Central America and part of South America. In Spain, this eclipse will cross the southern peninsula and will be especially striking in Ceuta and Melilla, where the total phase will last almost five minutes.

In light of this unprecedented phenomenon, which promises to attract thousands of visitors and astrotourism experts from around the world, the Spanish government has already begun preparing logistics to ensure safe and organized observations. The launch of the official website is the first step: it offers interactive maps, exact schedules, and recommendations for the best observation points, essential for planning this historic encounter with the cosmos.

The longest eclipse of the century

The second total eclipse of the Iberian Trio will be a major astronomical event. The band of totality will cross the Strait of Gibraltar from west to east, covering Ceuta and Melilla, almost the entire province of Cádiz, part of Málaga, and the southernmost areas of Granada and Almería, according to the IGN. The total phase will occur in the morning, around 10:50 a.m. (Spanish peninsular time), with the Sun at a high altitude, which facilitates more comfortable and safe observation, without depending on a clear horizon. In the rest of the country, it will be seen as a partial eclipse, although with a very significant magnitude.

The duration of totality in Spain will be particularly noticeable: in Ceuta it will last approximately 4 minutes and 48 seconds , while in Melilla it will last approximately 4 minutes and 34 seconds. In Cádiz it will last over 3 minutes, and in Málaga it will last around two minutes. This eclipse duration makes it one of the longest in the modern era.

According to The Economic Times , at its peak the eclipse will last up to 6 minutes and 23 seconds in its trajectory (this record will correspond to areas outside Spain, such as near Luxor, Egypt), making it the longest total eclipse visible from Earth since 1991 and the longest until 2114.