canary islands 2027 solar eclipse nate experiment

Canary Islands to lead 2027 total solar eclipse study

Canary Islands to lead global project studying 2027 total solar eclipse

The Canary Islands Government, through the Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and the Information Society (ACIISI), is backing the development of the international project “Total Eclipses in Spain and the NATE Experiment” (North African Telescopic Eclipse). Led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), the initiative will help cement the islands’ position as one of the world’s leading destinations for astronomy and astrophysics, according to the regional executive.

Network of telescopes to capture exceptional solar event

The project involves deploying a network of synchronised telescopes to observe and analyse the total solar eclipse on 2 August 2027. This exceptional astronomical phenomenon will track across southern Spain and North Africa, offering optimal conditions for scientific research. The programme also includes a preparatory phase linked to the total eclipse on 12 August 2026, visible from the Iberian Peninsula.

Migdalia Machín, the Regional Minister for Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture, said: “This initiative highlights the scientific and technological capacity the Canary Islands possess in astronomy and astrophysics, as well as the work the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias has been doing for decades.” She added that projects like this “allow us to continue advancing research, encourage young people to get involved in science, and strengthen international collaboration in a strategic area for the Canary Islands.”

One of the most significant eclipses of the 21st century

The 2027 total eclipse has exceptional characteristics that make it one of the most important of the 21st century. With a magnitude of 1.079 and a period of totality lasting over six minutes, it will allow advanced observations of the solar corona and its magnetic structures. The initiative incorporates the NATE experiment, which aims to capture high-resolution images of the inner solar corona using a network of telescopes operated by scientists, university students and teaching staff from the Canary Islands and Morocco. Around ten telescopic stations will be installed along the path of totality, developed in collaboration with the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University.

Training and public outreach

The programme also aims to provide specialist training for university students from the Canary Islands and Morocco in astronomical instrumentation and scientific data analysis, as well as to develop outreach activities and public broadcasts of the eclipse that can be followed from the islands. During 2026, the preparatory and technical validation phase will take place, involving equipment acquisition, team training, and testing during the total eclipse visible from the Iberian Peninsula. Astronomers from the United States National Observatory, who have taken part in previous international eclipse observation projects, will also collaborate.

Coordinated observation with unprecedented depth

The main phase will take place in 2027, when the coordinated observation of the solar corona will be carried out using a distributed network of telescopes, enabling the temporal evolution of the phenomenon to be reconstructed with unprecedented depth. This will be followed by data analysis, scientific publications and outreach activities aimed at schools and the general public. With this initiative, the regional government continues to cement the Canary Islands’ reputation as a reference territory for science and astrophysical research, an area in which the islands boast world-class infrastructure, exceptional quality skies and an internationally recognised scientific community.

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