The trio of total solar eclipses beginning in 2026 will mobilize thirteen ministries in Spain.

The Council of Ministers approved this Tuesday the creation of an Interministerial Commission to organize and coordinate actions related to the trio of total eclipses that will be visible from Spain in 2026, 2027, and 2028, an extraordinary astronomical phenomenon that is expected to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people to locations with favorable viewing conditions and attract tourists from around the world. The commission that will address the logistical and security challenges will also be exceptional: it will be made up of a dozen ministries, co-led by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (MICIU) and the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, as both are the ministries responsible for the National Astronomy Commission.

The first total solar eclipse, in which the moon will completely obscure the sun and the sky will darken as if it were night, is expected on August 12, 2026. It can be considered unique: since 1905, a total solar eclipse has not been seen on the Iberian Peninsula, and Spain will be the only inhabited territory where it can be observed. Almost a year later, on August 2, 2027, another total solar eclipse will occur, and an annular eclipse will occur on January 26, 2028.

In addition to Science and Transport, the Interministerial Commission, chaired by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, will also include the Ministries of Defense; Finance; Interior; Education, Vocational Training, and Sports; Industry and Tourism; Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory; Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge; Culture; Economy, Trade, and Business; Health and Social Rights; Consumption, and the 2030 Agenda. The National Astronomical Observatory, the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, and the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia will also participate.

The commission will be responsible for planning and coordinating actions aimed at ensuring public safety during eclipses. Its objectives will include "designing tourism promotion, scientific and cultural outreach, security, and public health prevention and care," according to a statement from the Ministry of Science.

For example, it will be necessary to ensure safe transportation, as massive travel to the areas where the total eclipse can best be observed is expected. Furthermore, places where large numbers of people can access the eclipse by car must be provided with minimal services (food and water supplies). The high risk of fires in these areas must also be considered, and the eyesight of those who attend must be protected.

The Commission will be established within one month of the entry into force of the Royal Decree regulating it and will be considered dissolved in 2028, when all the actions provided for in the Royal Decree have been completed.

"Eclipses are the largest instantaneous migrations that occur on Earth. Not even a catastrophe can produce the movement of so many people," says Javier Armentia, a member of the commission representing the Spanish planetarium network, Colectivo Tecnoplanetario. The astronomer points out that the fantastic eclipse of August 2026 will occur "with Spain packed for vacation. Furthermore, we have many Europeans here who won't want to miss the eclipse and will travel to see it," he emphasizes. As if that weren't enough, in Madrid it will only be visible to a certain extent from the Alcobendas area, so "everyone will want to head up to Castile." It won't be visible well on the Valencia coast either, so many people will also travel from there.

All of this will require "very important logistics and road safety," Armentia emphasizes. Added to all of this is "unforeseen last-minute travel, cloudy weather in one town and people wanting to move to another. Many municipalities will have to organize camping areas, access to restrooms and running water..."

Furthermore, Javier Armentia warns that looking at the sun without protection can cause lifelong retinal damage. "Every time there is an eclipse, thousands of people suffer burns that never heal," he says. Therefore, and taking into account the lessons learned from other eclipses in the US, "we want to mitigate misinformation, especially in small rural communities, by ensuring that there are trained people who can explain the phenomenon in those areas." In his opinion, "what happens in 2026 will be a lesson for 2027 and 2028." To be prepared, in Lerín, Navarra, they will hold a dress rehearsal for the eclipse on August 12th, a year in advance.