Spain's 2026 Total Eclipse Turned Corona Golden as Forest-Fire Smoke Filtered Blue Light
Updated
Updated · Science@NASA · Aug 17
Spain's 2026 Total Eclipse Turned Corona Golden as Forest-Fire Smoke Filtered Blue Light
3 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · Aug 17
Summary
Observers in Spain saw last week's Aug. 12 total solar eclipse with an unusually golden corona rather than the usual pearly white.
Near-horizon totality at sunset sent sunlight through a thicker layer of atmosphere, scattering blue wavelengths and leaving warmer tones more prominent.
Forest-fire smoke added a second filter, stripping out more blue light and deepening the gold cast over the corona.
A bright pink solar prominence still stood out at the Sun's left edge, while an HDR multiple-exposure image from Benavente captured the effect.
The sighting adds a scientific twist to Spain's widely watched 2026 eclipse, showing how local atmospheric conditions can visibly alter eclipse colors.