Live coverage from Roquetes

The Catalan government will livestream the total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026 from the Observatori de l’Ebre in Roquetes (Baix Ebre), the only observatory in Catalonia located directly in the path of totality. The broadcast will be available via the Department of Research and Universities’ YouTube channel.

The day’s events begin at 12:30 with institutional speeches, followed by scientific and outreach sessions starting at 16:00. The eclipse itself begins at 19:36, with totality expected in southern Catalonia around 20:30, lasting approximately one and a half minutes.

International experts and scientific programme

  • Nobel Prize-winning physicist Didier Queloz
  • NASA astronaut and physician Ellen Baker
  • Spain’s first astronaut and current Hispasat president Pedro Duque
  • Deputy director of the Vatican Observatory Pavel Gabor
  • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center researcher Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla

Also participating are Salvador J. Ribas, director of the Parc Astronòmic del Montsec; Juan José Curto, scientific outreach lead at the Observatori de l’Ebre; and astro-physicist Ignasi Ribas from the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC).

Scientific talks will cover the legacy of major observatories, human life beyond Earth, challenges in space exploration, the search for other worlds, and space weather. Salvador J. Ribas will explain the phases of the eclipse and what viewers can expect to see before the event begins.

"The livestream allows anyone, wherever they are, to experience this historic moment," said Núria Montserrat, Minister for Research and Universities.

The day includes the launch of three weather balloons by the Catalan Meteorological Service (Meteocat), equipped with radiosondes to study how the sudden drop in solar radiation affects temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind at different altitudes.

Historic site and public access

The Observatori de l’Ebre, founded in 1904 to study Sun-Earth relationships, is historically significant. It was first presented to the scientific community on 30 August 1905, coinciding with the last total solar eclipse visible from Catalonia.

The livestream ensures people unable to travel to the path of totality, or those in areas with poor weather conditions, can still witness the event. The initiative is part of ‘Catalunya mira al cel’, a programme led by the Department of Research and Universities to promote scientific culture and inspire interest in astronomy and space.

Collaborators include the Observatori de l’Ebre and the Parc Astronòmic del Montsec. For more information, the public can visit the official portal eclipsecatalunya.cat.

Primary sources: govern.cat, Eureka. Reported by ACN, diarimes.com, Alícia Simon Forns, Marc Guasch Ferreiro, Andrea Pacha Röper, beteve.cat, Quim Portet, Diari de Girona.