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Spain Hosts 2026 Eclipse, Citizen Science Tracks Heart Rates

8/11/2026

Summary

Spain Hosts Eclipse

Spain will host a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, with about two minutes 18.2 seconds of totality.
ESA will observe the eclipse with two telescopes and over 60 balloons from Spain and Iceland.
Dr Angela Des Jardins, leader of the NASA-funded balloon project, says the brief darkness will enable measurement of a short temperature drop.
UK observers will see about 92 % coverage and are urged to use ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses.

Summary

Spain Prepares Eclipse

Somosierra opened 400 registration slots and is coordinating with police for up to 2,000 eclipse visitors.
Balearic authorities will restrict 20 main roads on the Balearic Islands from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on August 12 to prevent gridlock.
Catalan scientists launched Project Solaris, a citizen-science program that will collect smartwatch biometric data from 5,000 volunteers, which Vall d’Hebron researchers will analyze to study heart-rate and breathing changes during totality.

History

Historical Context

The 29 May 1919 total eclipse over Sobral, Brazil, and Príncipe, West Africa, let Arthur Eddington’s Royal Astronomical Society team measure a 1.75-arcsecond starlight deflection, confirming Albert Einstein’s general relativity and sparking a century of eclipse research. That legacy underpins today’s 12 August 2026 Spanish eclipse, observed by ESA’s balloon fleet and 5,000 Project Solaris smartwatch volunteers.

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Spain Hosts Eclipse

Spain will host a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, with about two minutes 18.2 seconds of totality.
ESA will observe the eclipse with two telescopes and over 60 balloons from Spain and Iceland.
Dr Angela Des Jardins, leader of the NASA-funded balloon project, says the brief darkness will enable measurement of a short temperature drop.
UK observers will see about 92 % coverage and are urged to use ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses.

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