Category: Eclipses

On Aug. 2, 2027, the moon's shadow will sweep across some of the most iconic filming locations from Star Wars, plunging them into darkness during what's being called the "eclipse of the century".

The path of the 2027 total solar eclipse will cross southern Tunisia, where several locations were used to bring the fictional desert planet Tatooine to life. From the dunes of Mos Espa to the rocky Jundland Wastes, Star Wars fans will have the rare opportunity to experience totality at the very places where their favorite scenes were filmed

But not every famous filming location will experience totality, so choosing where to watch will be crucial. Here are four locations that fall directly in the moon's shadow. All times, totality durations and historical cloud cover data come from Time and Date.

1. Eriguet dunes (Mos Espa)

With a massive budget and three prequels to make, Lucasfilm built a new film set that would double as the Mos Espa spaceport on Tatooine for The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. This is where Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jar Jar Binks and Padme get stranded, where they meet Anakin Skywalker and where the podrace takes place. Now abandoned, it's in the middle of nowhere, between two huge salt lakes and subject to the intense heat and moving Eriguet dunes — but it is firmly within the path of totality. Nearby are two other shooting locations — the Ong Jemel outcrop, where Darth Maul arrives on the scene, and Yardang, where Qui-Gon and Darth Maul battle — the first-ever lightsaber duel filmed on location.

2. Maguer Gorge (Jundland Wastes)

Often called "Star Wars Canyon" by fans and crew, Maguer Gorge in Jebel Sidi Bouhlel doubled as the Jundland Wastes of Tatooine in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope. It's where Luke Skywalker is attacked by Tusken Raiders, where Obi-Wan Kenobi first appears and where Luke and Obi-Wan discover the slaughtered Jawas. The canyon also provided the distant view of Mos Eisley — the famous "wretched hive of scum and villainy." On Aug. 2, 2027, you'll likely be pointing your macrobinoculars at the eclipsed sun rather than Tusken Raiders.

Steven Spielberg later filmed here for Raiders of the Lost Ark, including the scene in which Indiana Jones threatens to destroy the Ark with a bazooka. Just south of Dghoumès National Park is a desert oasis called Bouhlel Sdada, used for the archaeological dig scenes in Raiders.

3. Ajim (Mos Eisley)

Djerba Island's palm trees, beaches and Mediterranean horizons will make it a popular destination for eclipse chasers after a long totality away from the heat and crowds of Luxor in Egypt. It's also home to three notable Star Wars filming locations. The original movie's Mos Eisley footage was shot here, with Ajim doubling as a Stormtrooper checkpoint ("These are not the droids you're looking for"), the Cantina exterior, and an alley near Docking Bay 94 where stormtroopers watch the Millennium Falcon blast off. In reality, it's an abandoned bakery.

4. Amghar Mosque (Obi-Wan Kenobi's house)

Just north of Ajim, this mosque — originally a fisherman's house — was used as a stand-in for "Old Ben's" house, where Obi-Wan Kenobi gives Luke Skywalker a lightsaber. It was used purely for photography, and no actors set foot here. It was also cut from the movie's Special Edition in 1997, so you'll only find it in the original version. Completists might also want to check out Sidi Jemour Mosque to the north, which was used for scenes with Biggs Darklighter that didn't even make the final cut. IYKYK …

How to go on a Star Wars tour in Tunisia

Tunisia's Star Wars locations are spread across the south, so the easiest way to see several is on an organized tour or with a private driver and guide. Tozeur is the main base for visiting Mos Espa, Ong Jemel and Jebel Sidi Bouhlel, with local operators offering half-day and full-day 4x4 excursions into the desert. Djerba Island is the other major hub for three sights. Longer multi-day tours typically connect Tozeur with Matmata, home to Hotel Sidi Idriss — the Lars Homestead — as well as Djerba.

One tour company, Star Wars Tours, is running a (sold-out) special departure called "Eclipse tour from the Outer Rim" that witnesses totality at the Mos Espa set. Other Star Wars-focused tour operators include Galaxy Tours, though one-day trips to the Mos Espa set from Tozeur are also available.

Where else to watch the eclipse in Tunisia

Tunisia is surely one of the most attractive destinations for the Aug. 2, 2027 total solar eclipse. Historical cloud cover is exceptionally low, while totality reaches around five and a half minutes near the centerline. It also offers established tourism infrastructure and generally lower August temperatures than Egypt, making it an obvious alternative for eclipse chasers hoping to avoid the biggest crowds around Luxor.

You can, of course, visit the Star Wars sets in the days before or after the eclipse. For Tunisia's maximum duration of totality, consider Sfax, where darkness lasts 5 minutes, 41 seconds, or nearby Chaffar Beach, with its long, open Mediterranean coastline. Offshore, the low-lying Kerkennah Islands get around 5 minutes, 39 seconds. Inland, Sidi Bouzid offers about 5 minutes, 33 seconds beneath typically dry skies, while the spectacular Roman amphitheater at El Jem gets 4 minutes, 23 seconds. On Djerba Island, meanwhile, beaches and extensive resort infrastructure make combining an eclipse chase with a conventional Mediterranean vacation particularly easy — with a view of Mos Eisley thrown in for good measure.

Newly released photographs of the sun captured during the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse reveal the sun's outer atmosphere in unprecedented detail.

The images, released by researchers working as part of the Solar Wind Sherpas project coordinated by the University of Hawaii, also show rare structures in the solar wind known as smoke rings. Named for their resemblance to the circles blown by smokers, these vortices were first identified in solar eclipse photographs captured in 2008. The researchers had long struggled to explain the processes behind their formation. They now know the rings are a result of the temperature differences in the coronal plasma and spread along the sun's magnetic lines deep into interplanetary space.

"This year, we have managed to capture those smoke rings really well," Miloslav Druckmüller, a professor of mathematics at the Brno University of Technology in the Czech Republic, who leads the image processing efforts for the Solar Wind Sherpas Team, said in a statement. "They are beautifully twisted vortices and there are very many of them in the corona."

The images, taken from the Pico Trigaza mountain in Spain, also reveal a giant coronal hole — an opening in the sun's magnetic field lines — through which solar wind can escape more readily at very high speeds of up to 500 miles per second (800 kilometers per second).

Coronal holes are cooler regions in the sun's atmosphere that appear darker in extreme ultraviolet and X-ray images taken by probes in space. They form in regions where the sun's magnetic field lines extend outward into space rather than looping back to the surface, allowing high-speed solar wind to escape. These structures can persist for weeks or even months.

Solar eclipse photography provides a unique vista into the processes taking place in the sun's upper atmosphere, the corona, which remain hidden even to cutting-edge space-based observatories.

Space probes and astronomical telescopes on Earth rely on instruments known as coronagraphs to view the corona. As the corona is a million times dimmer than the sun's surface, researchers need to obscure the visible solar disk with an occulter to view it. This occulter, located inside the telescope, has to cover a larger area than just the solar disk itself to protect the images from the effects of diffraction.

During a total solar eclipse, the moon naturally blocks the sun's bright disk, allowing scientists to capture exceptionally detailed views of the inner corona that are difficult to obtain with conventional coronographs.

The total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027, has an ancient feel. It will certainly be a celestial event for the ages — at 6 minutes 23 seconds, it will feature the longest totality on land of the 21st century and the longest anywhere until 2114. However, its point of greatest eclipse occurs just a few miles from Thebes, the magnificent religious and political capital of ancient Egypt's Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom.

On the east bank of the mighty Nile is Luxor, the great city of the living, with its massive temple complexes of Karnak and Luxor. On its west bank is the city of the dead, which includes the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut. Modern Luxor, population 285,000, is set to become a focal point for eclipse chasers on Aug. 2, 2027, and will attract many thousands of international visitors. They'll come for the forecasted 0% chance of clouds and the era-defining duration of totality, but also to tour ancient Egypt's temples and monuments.

The chances of actually witnessing totality at any of the major temples are probably slim. Still, almost every eclipse chaser headed to Luxor will want to tour them before or after the eclipse. Visitors should be prepared for extreme August heat and check official opening and access arrangements before planning to watch the eclipse at any archaeological site. Certified eclipse glasses are essential during the partial phases; only during totality, when the sun is completely covered, is it safe to look without them.

Ancient monuments in the path of totality

Not all of ancient Egypt will experience totality. Egypt's top-ranking monument, the Pyramids at Giza, near Cairo, lies north of the path of totality and will get a 95% partial solar eclipse. Abu Simbel, on the shores of Lake Nasser south of Aswan, will also see a 92% partial solar eclipse. No matter, Luxor is home to some of the world's most impressive and well-preserved ancient monuments. Here are its temples, necropolises and palaces — and those nearby, also in the 160-mile (257-kilometer)-wide path of totality — that will have the moon's umbral shadow fall upon them on Aug. 2, 2027. All times, totality durations and historical cloud cover data come from Time and Date.

1. Karnak Temple

Dedicated to the god Amun-Ra — a fusion of the hidden god of the sun Amun and the ancient sun god Ra — this vast temple complex will be the hottest ticket in town for the eclipse. One of Egypt's most impressive and well-preserved ancient monuments, it's a place designed by ancient astronomers — the winter solstice sunrise still illuminates the innermost sanctuary. Access arrangements for eclipse day have yet to be confirmed, so keep an eye on official announcements before making plans to watch totality from the complex.

2. Luxor Temple

This is one of Egypt's best-preserved ancient temples and a must-see during the 2027 eclipse. It's on the banks of the Nile near the city center, so it's relatively easy to visit. Dedicated to the god Amun, it is known for its beautiful pillars and intricate carvings. A 75-foot (23 meters) tall obelisk on the east side of its entrance will point at the eclipsed sun almost directly overhead on Aug. 2, 2027. Its missing right-hand obelisk is in the Place de la Concorde, Paris.

3. Valley of the Kings

This incredible necropolis is home to the tombs of the pharaohs and is a testament to the advanced engineering and architectural skills of the ancient Egyptians. Of course, you don't want to be underground for totality, but some of the tombs are a must-see. Your tickets include entry to any three tombs of your choice from those open that day, with extra tickets available for the really impressive ones—the spectacular KV17 (Seti I), small but iconic KV62 (Tutankhamun), and KV9 (Ramesses V & VI). The latter's Corridor G has a ceiling decoration that may depict a deep partial solar eclipse from 1143 BC.

4. Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

If one temple is best suited to crowds for an eclipse, it's this vast, open-air gem dedicated to the legendary queen who became pharaoh. However, with almost no shade, it could be the least practical option. Three huge terraces rise above the desert floor and into the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari to the west. It's an absolute masterpiece.

5. Colossi of Memnon

This is where we get to temples that are fairly well known, but likely won't have as much pressure on them from eclipse chasers as the big three — Karnak, Luxor and Hatshepsut. However, anyone looking for ways to get temple architecture into images of an eclipse at zenith should look no further than these two large stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Behind them are the ruins of the largest temple in the Theban Necropolis.

6. Medinet Habu

Getting off the beaten track in August 2027 will be near-impossible, but here's an option — the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III. Featuring towering stone columns, colorful reliefs (despite being 3,200 years old) and famous carvings, it's bypassed by tour buses heading straight for Hatshepsut.

7. Ramesseum

Another temple that, without Karnak and Luxor nearby, would be rammed with visitors, is the Ramesseum — the mortuary temple of Ramesses II. Featuring the remains of a huge fallen statue that inspired Shelley's poem Ozymandias, it's in an area once used by the artisans who built the royal tombs, and slightly off the tourist route.

8. Temple of Khnum

If you want to avoid the scrum of eclipse chasers in Luxor on and around Aug. 2, the Temple of Khnum could be an option. Located in Esna, about 34 miles (55 kilometers) south of Luxor, the so-called 'Rainbow Temple' (for its colorful ceilings) is dedicated to the ram-headed creator god Khnum. Dating from the Greco-Roman era, there's a vast Hypostyle Hall that sits below modern street level, which could be good for some shade.

9. Temple of Dendera

If you want to escape Luxor but (almost) keep its long totality, head to Qena, 40 miles (65 km) north, where one of Egypt's best-preserved and most beautiful temples stands. Dendera was the cult center for Hathor, one of the most important and popular deities in ancient Egypt and known as the 'lady of the sky.' The temple's entrance has six massive columns, each decorated with Hathor's head, and its ceiling features astronomical engravings.

10. Temple of Horus

Another great option for those who prioritize ancient Egyptian surroundings over the longest possible totality is the Temple of Horus, one of the most striking and best-preserved temples in ancient Egypt. About 68 miles (110 km) south of Luxor, it's dedicated to the sun and sky god Horus, one of the main gods in ancient Egypt, whose right eye represents the sun and left eye the moon. The temple's stone roofs are intact, so its Hypostyle Halls, inner chambers and central sanctuary provide some shade.

Spain is one of the easiest places in the world to experience the total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027. The so-called "eclipse of the century" first makes landfall in Andalucía, where totality will last up to 4 minutes and 40 seconds during mid-morning, with the sun comfortably high at around 38-42 degrees above the horizon in the eastern sky. Excellent roads, plentiful accommodation and Málaga's international airport make this an obvious alternative to North Africa and the Middle East.

However, choosing where to watch requires some thought. Southern Spain's narrowing shape funnels the path toward the Strait of Gibraltar, potentially concentrating huge numbers of eclipse chasers around Tarifa, the Costa del Sol and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar during the peak summer holiday season.

From busy Mediterranean beaches to mountain villages, here's where to see the total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027 in southern Spain. All times, totality durations and historical cloud cover data come from Time and Date.

1. Tarifa

At the southernmost tip of mainland Europe, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea, Tarifa is likely to be one of the country's busiest eclipse-watching locations because it will experience the longest totality in mainland Spain. Just 9 miles (14 km) across the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco, the historic port town is known for its whitewashed old town, the medieval Castle of Guzmán el Bueno and its long, sandy beaches. Los Lances and Valdevaqueros offer wide horizons and plenty of open space.

2. Gaucín

For eclipse chasers who would rather head into the mountains than join the crowds on the Costa del Sol, Gaucín is an intriguing alternative. One of Andalucía's classic pueblos blancos, the whitewashed village occupies a spectacular position in the mountains above the coast, crowned by the ruins of Castillo del Águila. Its elevated setting offers sweeping views across the surrounding countryside towards Gibraltar and, on clear days, the mountains of North Africa. Crucially, heading inland doesn't sacrifice too much totality.

3. Gibraltar

Few places in Europe could provide a more dramatic setting for totality than Gibraltar, the tiny British Overseas Territory dominated by its famous 1,398-foot (426-meter) limestone Rock. However, eclipse chasers will need to view either from The Rock or its east coast, where elevated viewpoints and beaches face the Mediterranean and the eclipsed sun. However, Gibraltar has a potential complication — the easterly Levanter wind can create a distinctive cap of cloud over the Rock even when surrounding skies are clear. Another issue is accommodation, which is already at a premium. See Gibraltar Eclipse 2027.

4. La Línea de la Concepción

Immediately north of Gibraltar, La Línea de la Concepción occupies the sandy isthmus between the Bay of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. Its location creates one of Spain's most distinctive possibilities for eclipse photography. On the Mediterranean side, Playa de Santa Bárbara is a wide sandy beach north of the border, with the immense Rock of Gibraltar rising to the south — a potentially spectacular foreground. The city has around 9 miles (14 kilometers) of coastline, providing plenty of alternatives for eclipse viewing.

5. Estepona

About an hour's drive southwest of Málaga Airport, Estepona is one of the Costa del Sol's most attractive resort towns, with a pedestrianized old quarter of whitewashed streets, colorful flowerpots and squares centered on Plaza de las Flores. For eclipse day, the mile-long Playa de la Rada is the obvious gathering place, with its broad Mediterranean horizon and proximity to the town center. Other attractions include Estepona Marina and the Sierra Bermeja mountains rising behind the coast.

6. Cádiz

Historic Cádiz occupies a narrow peninsula jutting into the Atlantic and is packed with reminders of its long maritime past, including the Cádiz Cathedral, the Roman Theatre and Torre Tavira, one of more than 100 watchtowers once used to spot approaching ships. For eclipse day, the long, sandy Playa de la Victoria offers plenty of open space, while La Caleta provides a more historic setting between two coastal castles.

7. Málaga

Málaga may lose some duration compared with locations farther west, but it makes up for it with excellent transport links, plentiful accommodation and all the attractions of a major Mediterranean city. It combines the hilltop Gibralfaro Castle and Moorish Alcazaba with a Roman theatre, cathedral, museums and a lively historic center. For eclipse day, the obvious option is the coast. La Malagueta beach is within walking distance of the city center, while numerous beaches extend east and west along the Costa del Sol.

8. Torremolinos

One of the best-known resorts on Spain's Costa del Sol, Torremolinos combines a long Mediterranean beachfront with easy access to Málaga and its international airport. Its 4-mile (6-kilometer) promenade links broad sandy beaches, including Playa del Bajondillo and Playa de la Carihuela, offering plenty of potential eclipse-watching spots with views toward the eastern sky. For a higher vantage point, nearby Mount Calamorro rises almost 2,600 feet (800 meters) above Benalmádena, with panoramic views across the Costa del Sol and, on clear days, towards Gibraltar and North Africa.

9. Marbella

Marbella has around 17 miles (27 kilometers) of Mediterranean coastline, so eclipse chasers will have dozens of beaches to choose from, from San Pedro de Alcántara in the west to Cabopino in the east. Options include the sandy beaches and dunes around Cabopino, Las Chapas, Puerto Banús and San Pedro de Alcántara, all with open views across the Mediterranean. Away from the beach, Marbella offers a whitewashed old town centered on Plaza de los Naranjos, while the Sierra Blanca mountains provide a dramatic backdrop to the resort.

10. Motril

Close to the northern edge of the path of totality, Motril gets a shorter eclipse than destinations farther west, but could be among the quieter places on Spain's Mediterranean coast from which to experience it. The largest town on Granada's Costa Tropical sits between the Mediterranean and the foothills of the Sierra de Lújar, with the Sierra Nevada rising beyond. Nearby Playa Granada and Playa Poniente offer broad coastal views.

Ancient Egyptian temples will inevitably dominate the story of the total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027. Luxor, home to Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and some of the most famous monuments of the ancient world, will experience more than six minutes of totality and will attract eclipse chasers from around the world. Southern Spain, particularly the coast around Tarifa and Málaga, is also expected to be busy.

But the path of totality is vast. It will stretch 9,462 miles (15,227 km) across Earth and reach about 160 miles (260 km) wide. After crossing southern Spain, the moon’s shadow will race east across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt before crossing the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and continuing across Somalia and into the Indian Ocean.

Along the way are mountain towns, desert oases, Mediterranean islands and historic cities where eclipse chasers can experience anything from a few minutes to more than six minutes of totality. Here are 10 less obvious places than Luxor, Egypt, to consider for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027. All times, totality durations and historical cloud cover data come from Time and Date.

1. Vejer de la Frontera, Spain

Thousands will watch the eclipse from Spanish beaches, but inland are some of Andalucía’s gems. Vejer de la Frontera is one of its classic pueblos blancos — “white towns” — a maze of whitewashed houses and narrow streets occupying a hilltop a few miles inland from the Costa de la Luz. Elevated viewpoints across the surrounding countryside could make this an intriguing alternative to watching from the crowded coastline.

2. Medina-Sidonia, Spain

Perched high above the Cádiz countryside, Medina-Sidonia offers something the eclipse beaches cannot: elevation. One of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited settlements, its historic center contains whitewashed streets, churches and the remains of a hilltop castle, with expansive views toward the surrounding plains. Totality lasts over three and a half minutes.

3. Arcos de la Frontera, Spain

You’ll sacrifice almost all of Spain’s potential totality by heading to another of Spain’s classic pueblos blancos, but what a setting. The old town of Arcos de la Frontera occupies a dramatic limestone ridge above the Guadalete River, its buildings seemingly piled along the cliff edge. Arcos sits very close to the northern limit of the path, which some eclipse chasers seek out specifically for a longer display of Baily’s beads. For an eclipse chaser who values that, scenery over duration, or relative quiet, this geographical knife-edge could be appealing.

4. Asilah, Morocco

Asilah offers an enticing combination of long totality and Atlantic scenery. The compact coastal town is known for its whitewashed medina, brightly painted murals and imposing Portuguese-era ramparts overlooking the ocean. It’s just south of the centerline of the path of totality, so it gets close to the best eclipse durations available in Morocco. Its walls, towers, beach and ocean could all provide enticing foregrounds for eclipse photography.

5. Chefchaouen Kasbah, Morocco

Surely one of the most photogenic surprises anywhere on the eclipse track, Chefchaouen is Morocco’s famous “Blue City,” its old medina filled with buildings painted in shades of blue beneath the rugged Rif Mountains. It also gets a substantial eclipse of roughly four and a quarter minutes, with the sun about 39 degrees high. An elevated viewpoint that captures the medina, the mountains, and the eclipsed sun could produce an extraordinary photograph.

6. Al Hoceïma, Morocco

For a wilder Moroccan eclipse, look east along the Mediterranean to Al Hoceïma. The city sits amid the rugged Rif Mountains, where cliffs and steep hills descend toward beaches and intensely blue Mediterranean water. With its beach resorts, you'll also find plenty of accommodation. It gets a long totality and the dramatic coastal landscape is attractive, though historical cloud cover is less favorable.

7. Oran, Algeria

Algeria’s second-largest city could be one of the more practical ways to experience the eclipse in the country. Oran overlooks the Mediterranean and is backed by hills crowned by the Fort of Santa Cruz, offering different kinds of eclipse experiences. More importantly, it’s on the centerline and gets more than five minutes of totality.

8. Houmt Souk, Tunisia

Djerba — the largest island in North Africa — offers an appealing alternative to the archaeological sites and desert landscapes elsewhere in Tunisia. Known as the “Island of Dreams” for its 300 days of annual sunshine, its main town, Houmt Souk, is known for whitewashed architecture, markets and a historic fortress. The surrounding island brings palm trees, beaches and Mediterranean horizons.

9. Bahariya Oasis, Egypt

For maximum totality without Luxor's expected crowds, Bahariya Oasis deserves serious attention. Centered on the town of Bawiti, this remote depression in Egypt’s Western Desert is surrounded by barren hills, date palms, hot springs and sweeping desert landscapes. It also lies remarkably close to the eclipse centreline, delivering 6 minutes 19 seconds of totality beneath almost dependably clear August skies. Nearby desert viewpoints could provide enormous horizons — although the eclipsed sun will be 79 degrees high.

10. Ta’if region, Saudi Arabia

Most attention in Saudi Arabia will inevitably focus on Jeddah and Mecca, but the Ta’if region offers something completely different. Sitting around 5,580 feet (1,700 meters) above sea level in the mountains east of Mecca, it is known for its cooler highland climate, dramatic escarpments and surrounding peaks. Duration varies substantially across the area because Ta’if lies toward the edge of the eclipse path, so eclipse chasers will need to choose their precise observing location carefully.

I had never seen a total solar eclipse. That's a strange thing to admit for the skywatching writer at Space.com, but the truth is that the opportunity had simply never come up.

When it comes to eclipses, I've always been beguiled by their beauty from afar. I've always hoped to see that strange moment when a black sun manifests to extend a glowing atmosphere into the fleeting twilight of totality. But after 37 years I hadn't once found myself in the path of the moon's inner shadow, and it was starting to feel like something that simply happened to other people.

That all changed when I joined Space.com and my life became anchored in the movements of the planets, moon and stars. I was offered the chance to report on the 2026 total solar eclipse from Spain, while our skywatching editor, Daisy Dobrijevic, witnessed totality from an HX Expedition's cruise aboard MS Spitsbergen in East Greenland. In the end, my first eclipse experience would be everything I had hoped for and more. A perfect blend of science, awe, culture and faith, that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.

I covered the Aug. 12 eclipse from the small village — or pueblo — of Valoria la Buena in central Spain. There, I joined a team of citizen scientists from the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative, a voluntary initiative guided by professional astronomers from Southern Illinois University and, where possible, part funded by grants from the NASA Science Mission Directorate and the National Science Foundation. For this eclipse, the DEB was tasked with capturing data on the sun's corona while transmitting a live feed to a NASA webcast from within the path of totality.

Months of preparation, writing and trading emails with the DEB team lead Charles Greenwald came and went. Before I knew it my bags were packed, my passport was in hand and I was standing in a taxi rank outside the Madrid-Barajas Airport in the heart of Spain.

Hours of mild embarrassment ensued as I used broken Spanish and hand gestures to negotiate my way across the city to the Chamartín-Clara Campoamor station. Then onto a high-speed train heading north to Valladolid — a beautiful city whose pronunciation I butchered for the entirety of my stay.

Into the path of totality

Upon arrival I was met by Charles' brother in law Santiago and nephew Andreas, who had travelled from Guadalajara, Mexico to witness the eclipse. Andreas led us on a short detour to hunt down some quality coffee beans — he's something of an aficionado. Then on to Valoria la Buena, by means of a final 30-minute car ride that would take us deep into the path of totality.

I had embraced Charles' idea of joining the DEB group not only for the citizen science, but also because of the unique opportunity to observe the eclipse with a multinational group hailing from Mexico, the U.S. and, more locally, members from Madrid and Valladolid.

Half of the group spoke fluent English while the other spoke none at all — a mix that set the stage for an intoxicating blend of meaningful conversation and rapt observation, as the group talked passionately in Spanish over magnificent home-cooked food prepared chiefly by Santiago, his wife Gaby and Andreas.

Once at the house in Valoria la Buena I finally got the chance to connect face to face with Charles, after months of sporadic video calls. In the months leading up to the eclipse Charles had dedicated precious down time to prepare his team and test new software for the solar telescopes.

As an undergraduate, Charles had studied optics and physics before ultimately pursuing a career in aviation, which nowadays sees him fly around the world for the global shipping and logistics giant FedEx. Over dinner that first night I discovered that he was also a retired colonel in the United States Air Force, and had flown some 35 different aircraft ranging from an F15 fighter to a C-17 globemaster over the course of his military career.

He had first discovered the DEB in an article from Sky & Telescope during a brief FedEx stopoff in Sydney, Australia. After heeding the call for volunteers and spent the next year assembling a team of family and students to capture the Great American Eclipse of 2024.

Several members of the group, including Santiago, Andreas and Arath — a student at the Universidad de Guadalajara — are veterans of that first campaign. For others, like myself, it would be an incredible first. But Charles' passion is what brought it all together.

1 day to totality

In the blink of an eye it was Aug. 11 — and we had just one day to go.

With prep time running short, I packed my camera gear and headed out to our eclipse site, where the DEB team was busy practicing with their solar scope.

My goal was to observe and get the lay of the land. I also needed a little time to practice with my own humble setup — a Fujifilm X-T5 camera with a XF 70-300 mm lens, plus a Manfrotto tripod and a handy solar filter courtesy of Celestron, which worked magic with the aid of a little Blu Tack.

The team had managed to convince a kindly resident to let us set up outside their villa, and to use their internet to ensure connectivity for the NASA stream.

It was a perfect spot with a near-pristine view to the west — an important feature considering that the sun would be less than 10 degrees above the horizon at totality — less than the width of a clenched fist held at arm's length.

There had been a little commotion earlier that day. Upon hearing that his parents had agreed to let perfect strangers access their internet, the son had, understandably, cautioned against letting Charles use the Wi-Fi, fearing that his story was a little too fanciful, and that he was some kind of scam! Thankfully it all got straightened out with a quick Google search, and we didn't have the ethernet plug pulled on the operation.

Charles and Arath were already getting the telescope to track the sun by the time I arrived. They'd also tested their uplink with NASA and the connection to the main DEB team 91 miles (147 kilometers) to the northwest in the city of Leon, which was looking stable.

I took the opportunity to catch up with Arath, who dreamed of pursuing a masters degree in mathematics at Cambridge University upon completing his studies at the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico. Nearby, Aimar and Aaron — a pair of passionate high schoolers from Spain — had their heads down as they worked on their own mathematical equations in the patch of shade cast by a solitary umbrella. They had reached out to join the group after hearing about the DEB on a university noticeboard, and later that day quizzed me on the best places to find the latest scientific studies. I'm 80% sure that they're already smarter than me.

All the while I was getting to grips with solar photography. I had — with a little help — managed to centre the sun in my frame and after 15 minutes of toying with settings had snapped my first crisp shot of the solar disk.

Everything was looking great. The weather, our greatest potential adversary, was playing nicely. As I noted earlier, the sun would be low in the sky around the time of totality, putting a lot of atmosphere between us and the eclipse for potential clouds to coalesce in.

But Charles had been tracking the forecasts closely, and everything he'd seen indicated that the western sky would be clear as the eclipse darkened the sky on the 12th. Only one unlikely threat to totality remained.

The summer had seen Europe endure an oppressively dry, hot summer, which had seen wildfires spring up across the continent. Having spent a week just north of the Spanish border in Carcassonne, France in July, I could testify to the colossal smoke clouds that billow up from such a fire, which could easily obscure the sun as firefighters worked to bring it under control on the ground below. Thankfully, no such threat materialized.

I sought a little solitude on that final night before the eclipse. The terrace was unoccupied, so I laid back on the astroturf, traced out the constellations above and allowed my anticipation to build. As I watched, a single Perseid raced through the stars of the Summer Triangle — a stunning opening act for the solar spectacle to come.

Eclipse day in Valoria la Buena

The day of the total solar eclipse had finally arrived — and with it a strange nervous energy that made me feel as if I was vibrating on a cellular level. I was hours from seeing something that had terrified and awed my ancestors, drawn adventurers half way across the globe and allowed scientists to understand the true nature of our parent star.

Charles, on the other hand, confessed to being rested and ready, despite working through a last minute technical glitch that had reared its head in the past few days.

The fan on the computer responsible for sending commands to the telescope and uplinking to NASA had simply given out. At the height of Spanish summer. In the middle of an oppressive heatwave. Ordinarily that would probably have been game over. But this is a team including physics heads, an engineer and all round brilliant people, so they came up with a plan. They built a DIY heatsink.

The gameplan went as follows: Andreas put a bunch of wet towels in the freezer overnight. Said towels were then transported in a cooler and placed at the bottom of a nice, shaded cardboard box at the observation site, with foil between the towel and the computer.

Add to that a hand fan and cooler blocks from the freezer and Viola, you've got yourself a homemade heatsink. Human ingenuity versus technology and a Spanish heatwave. We would know the victor soon enough.

In the meantime I had another first to experience. Andreas had arranged for a local Catholic priest to hold a special Mass at the local church to mark the day of the eclipse. And I'd been invited to join them.

I am not a Catholic myself, but have always been taken with the beauty of European churches and cathedrals, and was keen to experience Mass. After quizzing Andreas on theology and triple checking it wasn't an imposition, I gratefully accepted.

The church bells had been a constant companion during my stay in Valoria la Buena, chiming every hour on the hour since my arrival. They emanated from a stunning 250-year-old church located at the heart of the pueblo, which had been constructed over three distinct phases.

During Mass, the priest remarked in Spanish on the incredible nature of the upcoming eclipse as the group listened attentively while wearing specially made eclipse t-shirts. A poignant moment of religion and science in absolute harmony.

A unique eclipse

After, I disappeared to prepare while Charles and the DEB team ferried the scope and equipment to our observing site. There was time for one final communication test with NASA.

Then it was time. And it wasn't just us.

Half the town must have turned out to experience the eclipse. Citizen scientists and family mingled with friends and locals as an impromptu block party got underway in Valoria la Buena.

I set up my camera close to Charles and the DEB scope, as the DIY heatsink worked to cool the fanless laptop in defiance of the Spanish heatwave.

Aaron, Aimar, Rosa and Siempre watched on as I double-checked the solar filter and settings on my camera, while glancing paranoid at the eclipse timings on my laptop. We were quickly joined by a semi-circle of enthusiastic locals curious about everything from the eclipse and the DEB to science journalism and Space.com.

As a result I was lost in conversation as the moment of first contact arrived and the moon took its first tentative bite out of the sun. Someone shouted and I snapped to. I immediately forgot how to use a camera. Remembered. And snapped my first photograph of the eclipsed sun.

My first instinct was that something was ineffably wrong. The sight had activated an ancient and superstitious circuit in my brain that insisted the sun simply shouldn't look this way. That I should be doing something to make it whole again.

Nervous excitement waxed in time with the waning of the solar crescent, which grew thinner with each minute as the moon's silhouette sank ever deeper into the sun. It was spectacular, but in hindsight little more than a prelude to the wonder of totality.

As the last of the solar disk threatened to slip behind the moon I panicked. Alternating between eclipse glasses and my hastily retrieved solar binoculars, unsure which would provide the best experience.

The binoculars.

Shouts of awe echoed behind as the final shred of the solar disk created a magnificent Diamond ring flare effect on the trailing edge of the lunar disk. I ripped the solar filter away from my camera and lowered the binoculars from my eyes.

The moment I had envisioned for years in my mind's eye years had finally arrived, more spectacular than I could have hoped.

With my own eyes I saw the sun's atmosphere reach out from behind the moon's silhouette. A black star shining in a false twilight.

As before, the sight stroked a primal part of my psyche that told me it was all wrong. Like watching a leviathan pass just beneath the surface in a fathomless ocean. To my senses, the eclipsed sun seemed to fill the sky. Venus was visible gleaming star-like and brilliant above, but the impossible sun was our only focus.

I grabbed my unfiltered binoculars for a closer look - something that can only be done when the sun's photosphere is completely masked by the moon during totality. A bright prominence glowed to the left of the lunar disk, outshining the corona that surrounded the natural satellite.

It was our eclipse. 1 minute and 37 seconds of totality. Another will follow in 2027, but it wouldn't be the same. It'll be a different corona, at a different altitude, enjoyed with different people. Utterly unique.

I triggered my camera shutter a dozen times. I'd knocked it out of focus upon removing the solar filter. It didn't seem to matter.

As the sun emerged from behind the moon I turned my eyes back to my camera, which had decided to stop talking to my phone at some point during totality. Ten minutes of berating the inanimate object later the connection was back, and my (out of focus) views of totality were on their way to our solar eclipse live blog.

Charles and the team had been diligently capturing data on the sun's atmosphere throughout totality, while streaming live views to NASA as they held their eclipse show in Leon.

It was, to me, a shining example of citizen science, which had brought family, friends, locals and students together as one to enjoy one of the most spectacular sights that our solar system has to offer.

The partially eclipsed sun set over the western horizon as Charles accepted the cheers of the DEB group. Our last night in Valoria la Buena was spent among newfound friends, discussing the Strokes, love and coffee, all while enjoying a little rum.

My return journey was a malaise of delayed trains, a cancelled flight and a sea of unfamiliar faces. But none of that mattered. I was dwelling on that magnificent black sun at the moment of totality, of the unnatural twilight and of the people I met along the way.