With a total solar eclipse set to cross parts of northern Spain on August 12, 2026, Catalonia has launched an educational campaign to help students understand the significance of the rare event. The program, called Eclipsadas, is sending 25 trained scientists into classrooms to explain the science behind the eclipse and spark scientific curiosity among 12-year-olds, especially in schools with high levels of social vulnerability. The path of totality is narrow: it crosses northern Spain, while southern Spain and the Canary Islands will see a partial eclipse.
At the Instituto Escuela Maria Miret in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, students recently met with a researcher who explained how the eclipse works. For many, it was their first direct contact with a scientific expert. Teachers say the eclipse is a hot topic among students, but most have limited access to reliable information or opportunities to meet professionals in the field. The event will take place late in the afternoon, when the Sun is low in the western sky. Even observers within the totality track will need a clear, unobstructed horizon.
The Eclipsadas initiative, developed by the Generalitat de Cataluña with the Fundación Catalana de la Investigación, aims to reach around 2,700 students across 44 public and private schools. The program is part of the broader institutional campaign Cataluña mira al cielo and will extend into summer camps in July, since the eclipse itself will occur during the school holidays. The distinction between totality and a very deep partial eclipse matters: even about 99% coverage is not totality. The Sun must be completely covered for the brief total phase to occur.
To support teachers less familiar with astronomy, the Ministry of Education has introduced a free online course focused on the trio of eclipses expected in 2026, 2027, and 2028. Titled El Sol y el trío de eclipses 2026-2027-2028, the course offers video modules and classroom activities to help educators bring the topic to life for students. The three-eclipse sequence is also part of basic education in the Girona area: the fourth edition of the Petits Talents Científics program involves five schools and eight teachers from Girona, L’Escala, Palafrugell, and Banyoles. Lessons cover celestial bodies, their sizes and distances, and Earth’s rotation and revolution.
Local governments, research centers, and community organizations are organizing workshops and talks to prepare the public. They aim to explain why the eclipse is happening, highlight the rarity of three consecutive eclipses of different types, and offer viewing safety advice. Ariadna Gómez del Pulgar, a researcher from the Instituto de Física de Altas Energías de Cataluña, stresses the importance of teaching students to observe safely, including with certified glasses and homemade projectors. Eclipse viewers should comply with ISO 12312-2 during every partial phase. Ordinary sunglasses are not a safe substitute. Cameras, binoculars, and telescopes also need suitable solar filters fitted at the front.
Beyond the science, Eclipsadas aims to spark interest in scientific careers, particularly among girls. All participating speakers are women scientists, reflecting the program’s commitment to gender balance in STEM fields. Many students at the L’Hospitalet school come from families with limited exposure to science, making the visits a rare chance to meet working researchers. The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias is also planning national outreach, including a live broadcast from Palencia, field teams in Palencia and elsewhere on the Iberian Peninsula, and eye-safety guidance. The institute has scheduled the International Solar MHD 2026 Congress in A Coruña to coincide with the eclipse.
During the sessions, students learn about the eclipse and how to build simple devices to observe it indirectly. They turn cereal boxes into projectors, lining them with white paper and aluminum foil to view the phenomenon safely. For some, the event is a chance to plan family outings; others face barriers such as lack of transport or resources. The program aims to make the experience accessible to all, regardless of background. Unaided viewing is safe only during complete totality, while the Sun is fully covered. Protective viewers must go back on as soon as any part of the Sun reappears.
Information from public data, the last total solar eclipse visible from Catalonia occurred in 1905. The upcoming event is part of a sequence of three eclipses over three years, an unprecedented occurrence in the region. Solar eclipses happen somewhere on Earth roughly every 18 months, but total eclipses visible from the same location are extremely rare. The initiative reflects a broader push in Spain to use major scientific events to promote STEM education and address social inequalities in access to science.
