Teresa Guerrero

Updated Monday, April 8, 2024-15:14

The

great total solar eclipse

that will take place this afternoon has awakened a true eclipsemania in North America: millions of people in the US, Canada and Mexico have mobilized to enjoy this great astronomical spectacle this Monday that will last in total about five hours. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Spaniards

will have to wait until August 12, 2026 and August 2, 2027 to be able to observe a total solar eclipse

(the first can be seen in a strip that extends from Galicia to the Balearic Islands, and the second in the south of Spain).

However, for a few minutes today's great eclipse can be seen in several

Canary Islands and in some areas of Galicia

partially - not totally, as in America, where darkness similar to nighttime is caused.

In Tenerife, astronomers from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) are now ready to immortalize this astronomical phenomenon, which happens when

the Moon aligns just to come between the Sun and the Earth, covering the solar disk.

"We are going to go up to the El Teide Astronomical Observatory, in Izaña, to take photos with a solar telescope. It is a portable ameteur telescope that filters specific radiation from the Sun that we use to see flares and sunspots. And We will be with a group of high school and secondary school teachers to do astrophotography practices," explains Irene Puerto Giménez, astrophysicist at the IAC.


To know more

Astronomy.

The great American solar eclipse on Monday will be visible from some points in Spain

  • Editor: RAFAEL BACHILLER

The great American solar eclipse on Monday will be visible from some points in Spain

Science.

Eclipse on April 8, 2024: the US prepares for a historic event

  • Editorial: EL MUNDO Madrid

Eclipse on April 8, 2024: the US prepares for a historic event

As detailed in a telephone conversation, the Canary Islands where the eclipse can be partially followed are

La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera and Tenerife

: "La Palma will be where it is best observed, with 10% of the eclipse being visible; in El Iron, we estimate between 8 and 9%; in La Gomera, between 5 and 8% and in Tenerife, 5%. In Gran Canaria you will only be able to see 1%, that is, practically nothing, that's why We are not including it as a place to observe it," he says. Those percentages indicate the fraction of the Sun that will cover the Moon's shadow in each of these places (and that will result in a larger or smaller bite from the Sun).

In the Canary Islands, it will begin to be seen at 8:17 p.m. local time (9:17 p.m. on the Peninsula), "gradually increasing until disappearing behind the horizon at approximately 8:27 p.m.," according to the IAC.

As it lasts for such a short time and in a small strip -

the Sun will be seen nibbled by the shadow of the Moon

-, in the Canary Islands it will be an inconspicuous phenomenon, but that has not prevented

eclipsemania

from spreading and today they are receiving many calls and questions about the eclipse.

Irene Puerto admits that

they are "surprised by the great interest" that this eclipse has generated:

"Here in the Canary Islands there is expectation, although it will only be partially visible. And the truth is that there have previously been other eclipses in which a greater percentage of what we will see this afternoon, and they have not had such a great media impact. I imagine that it is because of the great propaganda that has been made from the US, and I think that something similar will also happen here in Spain, when the next total solar eclipses occur in 2026 and 2027, because it is very surprising that in the middle of the day it becomes night".

The eclipse in Galicia

That bite will be even smaller

in Pontevedra and A Coruña,

where the solar eclipse will be partially visible from 9:01 p.m. to 9:09 p.m., that is, just under 10 minutes. Regarding the weather forecast, intervals of low clouds are not ruled out at the end of the day, especially in the interior and north of A Coruña, while in the Canary archipelago some intervals of low clouds are expected in the north of the islands, while in the rest of the areas the skies will be clearer. The forecast at the El Teide Observatory indicates that there will be clear skies, so they hope to be able to take photos.

As Irene Puerto explains,

total solar eclipses occur approximately every year and a half,

but they fully affect only a narrow strip on the surface of our planet, and to observe them there must also be favorable weather.

Since we move away from that band, even if it is very close, it will already be partially observed, causing the event to be inconspicuous or may even go unnoticed. "There are two types of eclipse, a lunar eclipse or a solar eclipse. In a solar eclipse, the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth, and the shadow that the Moon casts on the Earth is small, between 100 and 200 kilometers in diameter. approximately. The Moon is moving, and that shadow, which is what causes the total eclipse, is traveling along a strip of Earth, which in the case of this Monday crosses Canada, the United States and Mexico," says this popular astrophysicist.

However, beyond the beauty and interest that a solar eclipse arouses in citizens, this astronomical phenomenon is an opportunity for scientists to study different aspects, for example, "to

calculate the apparent brightness of the sky or the study of the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere, called the solar corona

. According to the IAC, "the solar corona can be observed without the need for special instruments and will appear around the disk as a white glow when the Moon blocks the sun's glare."

Vision Hazards

Although in the face of an astronomical event as spectacular as this one one may be tempted to look directly at the Sun, scientists never tire of highlighting the danger of doing so without precautions. Looking directly at the Sun during the eclipse or through a non-approved device or filter can cause serious damage to your eyesight. Despite widespread belief,

it is important to avoid using optical systems such as binoculars or telescopes without the corresponding solar filters.

"The damage to the retina and cornea can be even greater than observing the sun with the naked eye because when looking through a telescope or binocular you concentrate more radiation," warns Irene Puerto.

How to do it then? Using an approved filter or

'eclipse glasses',

making sure that they are approved by the European Community for solar observation (opacity index 5 or greater). Irene Puerta considers that

dark welding glasses can also be used.

But whatever object we use to protect our eyesight, she warns that we cannot look at the phenomenon uninterruptedly, but only for a few seconds. The same precautions must be taken in the Spanish regions where the eclipse will be partial.