Get ready for a solar eclipse, meteor shower and planet parade in Europe

Key Points:

• On August 12, mainland Spain will witness its first total solar eclipse in over a century, with totality lasting up to two minutes and 18 seconds near the North Pole and about one minute over Spain, accompanied by a meteor shower and a six-planet alignment.
• The eclipse's umbra will travel a 5,130-mile path from near the North Pole down to the Mediterranean, with maximum totality occurring off Iceland’s west coast; partial eclipses will be visible across much of Europe, North America, and West Africa.
• Scientific and public engagement is high, with organizations like the European Space Agency, NASA, and various research teams conducting live broadcasts, balloon launches, and high-altitude plane observations to study the eclipse and atmospheric effects.
• An even longer total solar eclipse, lasting up to six and a half minutes, will occur on August 2, 2027, crossing southern Spain and parts of North Africa and the Middle East, followed by a ring-of-fire eclipse visible from Spain in January 2028.
• This series of eclipses marks a rare celestial event for Spain, whose last notable total solar eclipse occurred in 1905, sparking excitement among astronomers and eclipse chasers worldwide.