 Bilbao |
 Guggenheim Museum |
 Gaztelugatxe |
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 San Sebastien Bay |
 Mirrarmar Gardens |
 Guernica |
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 Madrid |
 Prado Museum |
 National Palace |
We booked a hotel in Madrid which was not in the path of totality but just on its southern edge. The centre of the city would not get totality but the airport would. There were many trains and buses to Burgos from Madrid, so there was no problem to get to the eclipse site.
The problem was getting back.
The eclipse was total at around 8:30pm. By the time we had seen the eclipse the last trains would have departed. We found a bus that would take us back to Madrid Airport (arriving after midnight after a two and a half hour journey) from where a taxi would return us to our hotel. I was with family members of all ages and this was a difficult return to get through.
In the end, the family members decided to view the eclipse from just inside the path of totality from Guadalajara which could be reached by commuter train from Madrid and were easy to return from. I would help them organise these trips and show them viewing areas where the Sun was visible so close to its time of sunset.
Then places started to appear in Burgos. Prices had dropped and there were no problems with requesting a place to stay and being rejected. It was still more expensive than normal but within reason. I still visited Madrid but before the eclipse.
 Burgos Cathedral |
 Old City Street |
 Plaza Mayor |
We were joined by Uli (from Germany) and drove to the small village of La Nogaleja. We observed the eclipse from a wheat field with a flat view across rolling fields towards the West. The field was just outside the city and 26.4 km from the centre line.
We introduced ourselves to the owners and requested their permission to see the eclipse from their land. They readily agreed and brought us an umbrella to protect us from the Sun. When the eclipse began they brought us a bottle of Champagne to celebrate. Two women with their daughters sat beneath a nearby tree with eclipse glasses shaped like masks for the girls.
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View from our field towards the West, South (with our hosts) and North (towards the city.
The weather had been clear and sunny for several days but there had been wild fires in the area. The latter had left smoke and dust in the atmosphere. We could see a few small cumulus clouds in the North but they did not move or change during the eclipse. The Sun was low in the sky and the colours of sunset were beginning to appear.
At 19:33, First Contact occurred. This is the moment when the Moon begins its passage across the Sun. We could see it through welders' glass and myler eclipse glasses within a few minutes.
During the first half hour the Sun became lower in the sky so the light became more golden. This was added to, after around 8pm, by the Sun being covered by the Moon. Light from the edge of the Sun has a more golden colour than from the centre because this light has to reach us through more of the Sun's atmosphere. The Earth's atmosphere was adding to the light changes as it does at every sunset and the dust from the recent fires was adding even more. By about ten minutes before totality the landscape took on a reddish colour.
In the North, we could see the sky darkening as the Moon's dark shadow, the umbra, was approaching us at 2.5 km/s. The planet Venus became visible.
Birds were singing and looking to roost. A colourful hoopoe flew by. A hare ran across the field looking panicked. Dogs began barking.
 The reddening light over the landscape. |
 The Moon's shadow approaches. |
At 20:28:27 the light from the edge of the Sun, golden like honey, condensed to a single point and disappeared. Second Contact had arrived and Totality had begun.
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Totality arrives at 20:28:27.
The Moon's shadow can be seen to the right of the Sun moving right to left across the landscape. Venus can be seen in the upper left.
The corona flashed into view to gasps of awe. It was a golden colour due to the low altitude of the Sun and the recent fires. It had streamers that resembled spikes reaching out in all directions. It was one of the most spectacular I had seen. It was intoxicating.
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The magnificent corona. The low altitude of the Sun and recent wildfires gave it a honey gold tinge.
We could all see a beautiful pink glow on the left side of the eclipsed Sun. This turned out to be a large prominence, glowing hydrogen above the surface of the Sun, and many times larger than the Earth. It was one of the largest I had ever seen and indicated an active Sun.
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Large red prominence on the left had side of the Sun. Other smaller prominences could be seen.
Birds continued singing. The Moon's shadow could be seen moving across the landscape, making the sky brighter on the right of the Sun. This wonderful spectacle was coming to its end.
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The Moon's shadow about to move away and end Totality.
And suddenly it was all over. A brilliant diamond ring appeared as the first beam of sunlight broke through from behind the Moon. Eight years of planning had ended after 1 minute and 44 seconds of sheer beauty and wonder. Totality had ended. It was Third Contact (20:30:11).
 The first hint of... |
 ...the diamnd ring. |
The light returned to the landscape. As the Sun sank lower into the sky it was possible to see the partial phases as the light dimmed. We left to the Sun setting with a "bite" taken out of it.
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The partially eclipsed Sun setting over the distant pylons.
Talaat Qureshi
Movie and people photos.
La Catedral VUT
For a comfortable place to stay overlooking the Cathedral in Burgos.
Mayte Solano
For wonderful hospitality at our eclipse site.
Dorothy Gil-Carey
Grandmother of my nephew and niece and was present during the
1999 eclipse in Cornwall (England), (1924 – 2024).
Fred Espenak
Known as Mr Eclipse for his maps and eclipse predictions that we use. Met him at London's Astrofest (1953 – 2025).
Androulla Koritsas
Paternal aunt (1939 – 2026).
Chris Efstratiou
Cousin (1949 – 2026).
Akis Stylianou
Friend from university (1958 - 2026).
