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Barcelona will see an 81.6% solar eclipse in August 2027

Barcelona will have another major date with the sky on Monday, 2 August 2027. A partial solar eclipse will cover up to 81.6% of the Sun’s disc as seen from the city and will last around two hours and twenty minutes, this time in mid-morning and with the star quite far from the horizon.

The phenomenon will begin at around 9.50. The Moon will move across the solar disc until it reaches its maximum at 10.58, when more than four-fifths of its visible surface will be obscured. Afterwards, the lunar silhouette will slowly withdraw until the eclipse ends at around 12.11.

The situation will be very different from that of the August 2026 eclipse, which reached Barcelona with the Sun already very low. In 2027, the maximum will occur in mid-morning, so it will not be necessary to look for a completely unobstructed horizon to follow the central moment. Rooftops, wide squares and open spaces will offer better conditions than narrow streets between buildings.

Those who want to make the most of the phenomenon within Catalunya will have to look towards the far south. Alcanar will be among the privileged points, with around 85.5% of the Sun covered, and La Sénia will be around 85.1%. Nearby municipalities such as Ulldecona and Godall, all in Montsià, will also be better located than Barcelona because of their greater proximity to the path of totality.

However, it will not become total anywhere in Catalunya. To experience a few minutes with the Sun completely covered, it will be necessary to travel down to the south of the Peninsula: the path of totality will cross Ceuta and Melilla, almost the whole province of Cádiz, part of Málaga and the southernmost areas of Granada and Almería.

The difference also matters when observing it. In Barcelona and the rest of Catalunya, it will be essential to use specific solar protection throughout the eclipse, as the Sun will never disappear completely. The glasses must be approved for solar observation; conventional sunglasses do not protect the eyes from radiation.

The event will be the second chapter in an exceptional sequence of eclipses visible from Spain. After the total eclipse of 12 August 2026 and the new eclipse of 2 August 2027, an annular eclipse will arrive on 26 January 2028, with the characteristic luminous ring around the Moon.

For those who do not want to leave Catalunya, the map points clearly towards the Terres de l’Ebre. Barcelona will offer obscuration above 80%, but travelling towards Montsià will be enough to gain a few points and contemplate an even more reduced Sun in mid-morning. The key, when that Monday in August arrives, will be simpler than in 2026: a clear sky, an open place and approved glasses.