Press kit — Eclipses
Verified data, maps and methodology for press coverage of the August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse in Spain.
149
cities see the entire totality above the real horizon
87
more fall just short, within one percentage point of totality
3
spots in Galicia keep the Sun above the horizon through the end of the partial phase (C4)
The “clean eclipse” cities
In Spain, 149 cities and 3,533 viewpoints see the entire totality above the real terrain horizon, not just the geometric one. Sorted by horizon margin.
| # | City | Region | Population | Elevation | Obscuration | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oleiros | galicia | 35.559 | 127 m | 100% | +11.81° |
| 2 | Lalín | galicia | 20.158 | 552 m | 100% | +11.09° |
| 3 | Carballo | galicia | 31.261 | 111 m | 100% | +10.70° |
| 4 | A Coruña | galicia | 250.438 | 22 m | 100% | +10.11° |
| 5 | Lugo | galicia | 98.025 | 465 m | 100% | +9.77° |
| 6 | Narón | galicia | 37.712 | 23 m | 100% | +9.56° |
| 7 | Cambre | galicia | 23.231 | 49 m | 100% | +9.47° |
| 8 | Gijón | asturias | 271.780 | 22 m | 100% | +9.21° |
| 9 | Oviedo | asturias | 220.027 | 237 m | 100% | +9.04° |
| 10 | León | castilla-y-leon | 124.772 | 844 m | 100% | +8.88° |
| 11 | Zamora | castilla-y-leon | 61.827 | 662 m | 100% | +8.68° |
| 12 | Ponferrada | castilla-y-leon | 68.736 | 519 m | 100% | +8.62° |
| 13 | Avilés | asturias | 78.715 | 26 m | 100% | +8.47° |
| 14 | Ferrol | galicia | 66.799 | 24 m | 100% | +8.31° |
| 15 | Medina del Campo | castilla-y-leon | 21.540 | 721 m | 100% | +8.14° |
Downloads
Data by region (JSON)
Methodology
- Astronomy: high-precision planetary ephemerides with topocentric eclipse solving, at the real elevation of the point and with the most recently published Earth rotation value.
- Terrain horizon: 1,440 rays (one every 0.25°) over the DEM, followed from 0.5 to 100 km and grouped into 6 distance bands, with Earth-curvature and refraction correction. Without a local DEM: 72 azimuths × 11 distances via remote providers.
- Dual verdict: primary (C3 if totality / peak otherwise) + partialEnd (C4).
- Open data: anyone can reproduce the computations with the public calculator.
Solar eclipses in Spain 2026-2028
Primary source: NASA Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses (Espenak/Meeus). γ and magnitude verified against our own independent calculation — diff <0.001.
| Date | Kind | γ | Magnitude | Central duration | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-12 | Total | 0.8978 | 1.0386 | 2 min 18 s | Totality: northern Spain (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, Aragón, Catalonia, Balearics) |
| 2027-08-02 | Total | 0.1421 | 1.0790 | 6 min 23 s | Totality: southern Spain (Andalusia, Ceuta); partial elsewhere |
| 2028-01-26 | Annular | 0.3901 | 0.9208 | — | Annular in southern Northern Hemisphere; partial in Spain (local midday) |
PRO Astronomía — astronomer-grade tool
- NASA Besselian elements (x, y, d, μ, l₁, l₂) downloadable as JSON.
- Stellarium .ssc export: runs directly in the open-source planetarium.
- Night planner: Milky Way, Perseids, lunar phase, astronomical twilight window.
- Global visibility map and topocentric contacts (C1-C4) panel.
- Messier catalog + 88 IAU constellations filtered by local horizon.
Other tiers: Eclipse Pass (€24.99) bundles PRO Astronomía + PRO Photographer + PRO Traveler. Free includes the public calculator with real DEM horizon.
Quotes for editorial use
“The real value isn't knowing which cities fall inside the path of totality on paper, but calculating whether the real horizon — a mountain, a building, a tree — blocks the Sun before the eclipse ends. That's the difference between a geometric map and one you can actually plan a trip around.”
“Knowing whether the Sun is up isn't enough — we also need to know if a hill or building hides it. That's why we sample a digital elevation model 360° per location, not just the geometric horizon.”
“Spain hosts three solar eclipses in under 18 months (Aug 2026, Aug 2027, Jan 2028). It's the best astronomical-outreach window in a generation.”
Further quotes or interviews on request. Typical response within 24 working hours.
Brand kit
icon.svg
Primary logo (scalable vector, free editorial use)
og-sample.png
OG sample image (1200×630) — Madrid
Color palette
#0f172aBackground#ffb86bEclipse accent#fbbf24PRO Astronomía#10b981Visible#f97316Marginal#ef4444HiddenContact
For interviews, custom data cuts (by region, province or city) or extra quotes: [email protected].
Typical response time: 24 working hours. Mark same-day pieces as urgent in the subject.