This August 12, a total solar eclipse will take place and will be best viewed from parts of Spain, a tiny little bit of Portugal, as well as Greenland and Iceland, the first of a series of three solar eclipsesin Spain in 2026, 2027, and 2028. But the solar eclipse in August 2026 has a particularity: in Spain it will happen late in the afternoon, almost before sunset, with the sun very close to the horizon, so it won't be appreciated in lower terrain or if you're surrounded by buildings or other visual obstacles.
That's why this week, and particularly Wednesday April 29 and Thursday April 30, are being considered as a "rehearsal" for those who want to safely see the solar eclipse in August, because the sun will set at almost exactly the same position as it will do on August 12. The reason is simple: there are 52 days between April 30 and the summer solstice, June 21, same days as between the solstice and the day of the eclipse, August 12.
How to know if you will be able to see the eclipse in August
In short, if you want to know if you will be able to watch the solar eclipse from where you're standing, or from where you plan to watch it, today and tomorrow will be the best chance to know it: if you can see the sun at the hour where the eclipse will take place (that will last four about 90 seconds and will start at around 20:27-20:32 CEST in Spain; 17:48 in Reykjavik), without being covered by buildings, mountains or other obstacles, you will also be able to watch the solar eclipse in August (if the weather is good, of course).
Bear in mind that the eclipse will only be totally appreciated in parts of Spain, as well as Iceland and Greenland. In other parts of Western Europe the eclipse will be partial. Here you can read a extremely detailed list of places and times from where you will be able to see the solar eclipse, but of course, will only be visible if you don't have any buildings or mountains covering it...
The other, and arguably bigger obstacle is weather. The sky is expected to be cloudy, even stormy, in many parts of Spain, especially today, Wednesday, so the "rehearsal" may be futile as clouds will cover the sun completely. Let's hope that the sky is clear on August 12, so that we can enjoy this spectacle from nature. An unprecedented number of international visitors are expected to come to the northeast of Spain this summer, including some sparsely populated areas, showing the magnitude of the astronomical event.