r/Astronomy • u/ermelad • 4h ago
Astrophotography (OC) Total Solar Eclipse, Aug 12, 2026 from Valladolid, Spain - my experience
Hi. Would like to share my own experience of Aug 12, 2026 Total Solar Eclipse from Spain.
This was my first total solar eclipse. Maximum phase, which I have seen before, was abt 90% in 1999. I had set my sights on this specific eclipse years ago and had long planned to make the trip, especially since no total solar eclipses are expected in my home country Ukraine in the coming decades.
Unlike the 2027 eclipse, the choice of location for the 2026 event was straightforward: aside from Spain, the chances of seeing it elsewhere were slim to none. The first and most crucial step was selecting an observation place, a detailed climate analysis along the eclipse path (https://eclipsophile.com/tse2026/) proved to be very useful here. Although the eclipse path crosses numerous Spanish cities, the range of viable options wasn't actually that broad. I ruled out the north due to its high humidity and cloudy weather, the Mediterranean coast also seemed too risky, given sea influence. Consequently, my list quickly narrowed down to the northern Meseta region (Burgos, Valladolid, León), which is the driest area and keeps the lowest statistical probability of cloud cover in August.
Initially, the plan was to stay overnight in the town where I planned to watch the eclipse, but accommodation prices were astronomical due to limited proposal and huge demand. Ultimately this issue was solved by staying in Madrid, which offers a vast number of hotels and has no prob with avails. Given this, Valladolid was finally chosen as logistically optimal. Although this meant sacrificing about 15 seconds of the eclipse's totality, it was an just hour away only by train, and I was back to Madrid by 11 PM.
Since the eclipse was taking place at sunset, a clear view of the western horizon was essential - a challenging requirement in a city I had never visited before. I started with google maps to search for high ground: hills, parks, or open fields on the western side of the city, virtually scouting the area and marking potential spots. Furthermore, www.peakfinder.com allowed to check the terrain, the elevation of the horizon, and the precise sunset time for each specific location.
Fortunately, the weather forecast was favorable. I arrived in Valladolid at noon and headed straight to the outskirts to check out the spots I had marked. The observation site turned out to be a sort of wild, remote park. Amidst the 35-degree heat, there were very few people around, and it quickly became clear that the few who were there had come for the exact same reason. On the way, I encountered an elderly man with a tent already setting up his equipment, and I passed a few other people who asked, "Eclipse, yeah?" After walking around a bit with a compass app on my phone (which was crucial, as many people didn't realize their view toward the sunset would be quite restricted) I found a good spot. I also scouted the area and noted a few other potential locations nearby, just in case mine was already taken.
The partial eclipse was set to begin around 7:30 PM, so there wasn't much point in hanging there all day. I headed back to the city center to walk around, planning to return abt 6:00 PM. The absence of a large number of people during the day ultimately proved deceptive. By evening, the approaches to the park were packed with a huge crowd, people spontaneously swarmed the slopes of the massive hill. Luckily, I managed to find a decent spot, though area around was packing increasingly, as the eclipse drew near.
I’m not a professional photographer and I didn’t want my first experience to be spent entirely fiddling with gear. Still, I wanted to keep something except memories, so I brought my Seestar S50 and set it to record a timelapse, which was an ideal solution that required quite little attention. Things didn't go exactly as planned :), but overall, I’m happy with the result.
Visually, it was an incredible experience. Even though the Sun shone quite brightly right up to the last moment, making it hard to spot the narrowing crescent, the changing daylight made the event unmistakable. It brought back memories of that strange twilight I recall from 1999, as if someone had simply turned down the brightness outside. It is difficult to put into words the experience of an eclipse near totality, no youtube video can truly capture the scale of the "black sun" effect surrounded by its corona. As an extra bonus, since the eclipse was near sunset, the final phase could be observed with the naked eye, without glasses. If that is possible, I would highly recommend to witness a total solar eclipse for every amateur astronomer at least once in their life.
A few takeaways for the future:
- I would advise anyone planning to see totality to have a Plan B, C, and so on, just in case circumstances change. Weather is the primary concern, but there are plenty of other potential complications, such as train cancellations or strikes, etc. I had considered alternative options in other cities beforehand, just in case I needed to change plans at the last minute. Fortunately, I didn't have to use them, however, even though it was August and Valladolid has a very hot climate, it was rainy there just a couple of days after the eclipse, so you never really know for sure.
- Practice. You really should take the time to practice beforehand and keep a clear plan in mind for what to do during the eclipse. Set timers or alarms for specific times, there’s even an app that tells you exactly when to put on your glasses or remove the filter, though that’s more for professional photography. Despite my preparation, I still managed to miss the shots of the "diamond ring" and Baily's beads, but without practice, the outcome could have been truly bad.
- Food and drink. The eclipse lasts 2–3 hours from start to finish, plus the time spent on-site before and after, and it’ll be too late to go anywhere else once it begins. Personally, I underestimated how much water I’d need given the heat, though fortunately, there were plenty of people nearby to ask.
And most importantly, of course: don't stress and just enjoy the event.
On a fun note, I managed to capture three airplanes in the background.
Photos are extracts from Seestar S50 timelapse via PIPP.
