On the evening of August 12, 2026, a group of about 50 Astronomy readers witnessed a terrific and mesmerizing total solar eclipse that lasted about 1 minute 30 seconds. Our group consisted of Americans who traveled to Madrid with Astronomy’s travel partner, Eclipse Traveler, and began our journey over a week of exploration before capturing the beauty of one of Nature’s grandest spectacles.
We set up on an exclusive property of Bodegas Finca La Emperatriz, a Spanish winery in La Rioja, Spain, between the towns of Burgos and Lagroño, in the country’s northern region. We had a beautiful view of the partial phases of the eclipse starting in the early evening, in the fields of grapes growing around us, and totality did not disappoint. Under a beautifully clear sky, we saw a spectacular corona, with brushy patterns, and a spectacular and brilliant prominence on the left side of the Sun, along with the ruddy chromosphere, and great diamond rings to mark the start and end of the total phase.
The group was stunned, yelling and screaming with delight, and then we celebrated with a lavish dinner afterward, returning to our hotel nearby to rest. We will carry on the trip and explore other areas, notably Barcelona, before returning to the United States a few days from now. Previous explorations have shown us many historic buildings, areas, and the incredible Prado Museum in Madrid and areas of interest in Toledo.
What a fantastic adventure this has been! Total eclipse success, and hanging out with a wonderful group of adventurers. I hope that you too have had great success, among the eclipse travelers in the readership.
David J. Eicher is Editor Emeritus of Astronomy magazine, a member of the board of the Storms Festival and of Lowell Observatory, and author of 26 books on science and history.
