The Balearic Islands are stepping up preparations for the total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026, with officials unveiling a key public visibility test aimed at improving safety and crowd management for the major astronomical event.
The Commission for the Management of the Eclipse met this week to advance coordination plans across government departments, emergency services and scientific bodies. A central focus of the meeting was the introduction of a public exercise taking place on 29 and 30 April, designed to assess viewing conditions ahead of the eclipse and help reduce unnecessary travel on the day.
The initiative, developed by the Balearic Government and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) with support from AstroMallorca and civil protection volunteers, will ask participants to go to their intended viewing location and check whether the Sun is clearly visible at a specified time. If the Sun can be seen at sunset, officials say conditions should also be suitable during the eclipse itself.
Observation times will vary across the islands, with Menorca scheduled for 20:25, northern and central Mallorca at 20:26, southern Mallorca at 20:27, and both Ibiza and Formentera at 20:28. Data gathered during the exercise will be used to build a detailed map of safe and optimal viewing areas across the archipelago.
Officials say the information will feed into a wider emergency and security framework known as ECLIPBAL, which forms part of the Balearic Civil Protection Territorial Plan. The government has also launched a multilingual public information campaign covering safety guidance, including the use of certified eclipse glasses and warnings against viewing the Sun through unfiltered optical equipment. Educational initiatives, including school resources and teacher training, are also planned in the run-up to the event.