Total Solar Eclipse 2026 — OAM Public Observation
On 12 August 2026, Mallorca will witness a total solar eclipse at sunset — the first total eclipse visible from Spain since 1905. The Observatori Astronòmic de Mallorca (OAM) is mounting the island's flagship public observation, spread across two sites: its own grounds in Costitx and the Mateu Canyelles football pitch in Inca, where it expects to gather around 1,000 people. OAM director Salvador Sánchez is deploying more than 30 telescopes between the two locations so the public can safely follow the partial phases and the brief, breathtaking minute-and-a-half of totality around 20:31, with the Sun sitting very low over the western horizon. A double bill in the sky: the event coincides with the Perseid meteor shower (11–13 August), so once the sky darkens you might catch shooting stars as well — Sánchez has even raised the prospect of glimpsing a meteor in broad daylight. Safety: the OAM is running an awareness campaign with ophthalmologists on how to look at the Sun without harm. Never watch the partial phases without certified solar-eclipse glasses.
