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The 23 official spots to watch the total eclipse in Catalunya
Catalunya is preparing for the solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August with 23 official observation sites distributed across 18 municipalities. They will be free of charge, with a combined capacity for around 50,000 people, and will be mainly concentrated in Terres de l’Ebre, Camp de Tarragona y Ponent.
The south of the territory will offer the most complete experience. In some counties of Tarragona, the Moon will completely cover the Sun for nearly a minute and a half, although the low position of the star on the horizon will require choosing open spaces without mountains, trees or buildings in front.
Barcelona will be outside the band of totality, but will be able to observe a very deep partial eclipse. The phenomenon will take place approximately between 19:30 and 21:00, right at sunset, so viewpoints facing west will be the most suitable.
The Montjuïc castle will extend its opening hours and organise a special day to follow the eclipse from one of the city's high points. Even so, those who want to experience total darkness will have to travel to the designated areas in the south of Catalunya.
Among the selected spaces are the bullring in Alcanar, the Font del Mirador de Altafulla, the L’Oriola industrial estate in Amposta, the Pla de Camarles, the Cooperativa Agrícola de Cambrils and the Magraners football field in Lleida. There will also be points in Reus, Tarragona, Valls, Torredembarra, Gandesa y L’Ametlla de Mar.
The Generalitat will distribute 150,000 certified glasses to reduce the risk of eye injury. Regular sunglasses, X-rays, smoked glass or homemade filters are not suitable, and cameras, binoculars or telescopes should not be used without solar protection placed in front of the lens.
The operation will include extra security and mobility measures in anticipation of thousands of people arriving. It is recommended to plan your journey with time, avoid stopping on hard shoulders, and not to improvise observation points on roadsides, private fields or sensitive natural areas.
The evening will offer two very different experiences: Barcelona will see the light decrease extraordinarily, while the south of Catalunya will be completely dark for a few moments. The choice of location, horizon visibility and eye protection will make the difference in an event that will not be repeated in the territory for generations.