On August 12, coinciding with the total solar eclipse that will be visible across much of Spain, the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics (IAC)—a world leader in solar physics—will bring together leading scientists in Palencia. Most of them are affiliated with the NATE project, spearheaded by the institute, and they will conduct their work in front of the public in what is set to become one of the most significant scientific and educational events to take place in the country.

Thus, starting on the 10th, talks and workshops will be held at various locations throughout the city of Palencia, in collaboration with the city government. This event will reach its climax during the eclipse at Otero Hill, where participants will practice observing and measuring the solar corona in preparation for the NATE experiment that the IAC, with the support of the Government of the Canary Islands and in collaboration with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco, and the National Solar Observatory (NSO) of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), will carry out in Morocco during the total solar eclipse of 2027.

In addition, the IAC, in collaboration with local authorities, will extend its outreach efforts during those days to the towns of Carrión de los Condes, Osorno, Frómista, Autilla del Pino and Villalcázar de Sirga—towns that are symbolically linked to stargazing as part of the Camino de Santiago.

Leading experts

Among the experts traveling to Palencia to study and publicize the eclipse are solar physicists Valentín Martínez Pillet (director of the IAC), Kevin Reardon and Sanjay Gosain (NSO), and José Carlos del Toro (Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia). Joining them will be astrophysicists Eva Villaver (deputy director of the IAC and member of the European Space Agency’s Space Science Advisory Committee), Jorge Pérez-Gallego (coordinator of the NATE project), and Youssef Moulane (UM6P). In addition, the IAC will provide a wide range of experts who will lead the extensive program of talks, workshops, and observations.

Goal 2027: NATE Experiment Test

The NATE project, which will be tested during the upcoming eclipse, is a science, education, and outreach initiative that will study the eclipse on August 2, 2027—visible from the southern tip of Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East—using a coordinated network of telescopes operated by teams made up of astronomers from the IAC and its partners, volunteers, teachers, high school students, and college students.

This initiative is inspired by the successful Citizen CATE (Continental American Telescopic Eclipse) experiments conducted in the U.S. during the 2017 and 2024 eclipses by the NSF, the NSO, and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). NATE will use a total of ten telescopes to observe the 2027 total solar eclipse from various locations in Morocco. As the Moon’s shadow traverses the country, teams at these locations within the path of totality will capture images of the brightness of the solar corona, extending the total duration of the observation to ten minutes.