Iberia will operate a special chartered flight to observe the total solar eclipse from an altitude of 10,000 metres, with a livestream available for the public. The flight, an Airbus A321XLR, departs from Madrid's airport at 6:45pm and returns after following a specially designed path over northern Spain.
Flight details and viewing path
The aircraft will pass over the northern region of Palencia, with a route optimised for eclipse viewing. Northern Spanish cities including A Coruna, Oviedo, Bilbao, and Zaragoza will experience the full eclipse, while Valencia will also see the sun fully covered.
The flight will carry scientific researchers from the Shelios project, not the general public. The crew will be captained by Javier Lopera Alcalá, with First Officer Javier Meana Fernández, who has astrophysics training.
Scientific observations and livestream
Astronomer Miquel Serra-Ricart said: "Observing from cruising altitude will allow us to have a clear view of the solar corona, free from cloud cover and other atmospheric phenomena that can make ground-based observation more difficult." The researchers will also observe the apparent positions of Venus, Mercury, and other visible stars.
Wednesday's eclipse is the first total solar eclipse visible from the Iberian Peninsula since 1912. The UK will see a partial eclipse, with the Met Office identifying Devon, Cornwall, and western Pembrokeshire as the best viewing locations, where 94% to 96% of the sun will be obscured. Other parts of the UK will see between 90% and 94% coverage, with specific figures for Birmingham, London, Inverness, Edinburgh, and Newcastle.
Safety warning
The Royal Greenwich Observatory warned that regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the eclipse. Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the Mirror: "It doesn't matter that most of the sun is covered, you can't look directly at it. It's too bright to look at, not even a glance. You really do need protective equipment to look at the sun. You can't just have a quick look at it and think that's ok."
