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Astronomy Picture of the Day
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Total Solar Eclipse Over Spain
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On August 12th, 2026, the Moon totally eclipsed the Sun and cast its shadow across Siberia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and Portugal. Today’s image features two total solar eclipses viewed from Zaragoza, Spain, one over the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and the other reflecting in the Ebro River. For a few moments, Spain saw its first major total solar eclipse since 1905. Those witnessing totality may experience a chill in the air, the quieting of birds, the confused chirps of insects, and the shared awe of many. It’s the corona’s time to shine as the Sun’s bright disk is blocked by the Moon. Among other reasons to study eclipses, they help scientists understand why the corona is millions of degrees hotter than the Sun’s surface. Enthusiastic citizens can contribute to these studies by recording how wildlife responds, imaging the corona, and monitoring air temperature and clouds. More spectacular eclipse images: Solar Eclipse of 2026 August 12
Credit: Ruiyu Zhang Text: Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II)
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Sunspots Today
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Image · NASA/ESA SOHO
Sunspots are cooler, darker patches on the Sun's visible surface where intense magnetic fields push up through the photosphere and slow the flow of heat from below. They are typically a couple of thousand degrees cooler than their surroundings, can grow larger than Earth, and drift across the disc as the Sun rotates roughly once a month.
Counting them matters: the sunspot number tracks the Sun's roughly 11-year activity cycle, and the biggest, most magnetically tangled groups are the launch pads for solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Those storms drive aurorae, but can also disturb radio communication, GPS accuracy, satellites and power grids — so daily counts from observatories like SOHO underpin space-weather forecasting and our understanding of stellar magnetism.
Open Sun Observation
Black-and-white white-light map of the solar disc with Earth shown to scale — every dark speck is a sunspot group. Never look at the Sun directly — use certified solar filters.
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