Presentation of the start of the 2026 season, with activities focused on the total solar eclips

Workshops and special sessions at the planetarium to explain the peculiarities of a solar eclipse, including extended hours for visits by organized groups, are some of the novelties of this new season.

The Montsec Astronomical Park, managed by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), kicks off its 2026 season this Friday with a series of new activities focused primarily on explaining, promoting, and educating the public about the total solar eclipse that Catalonia will experience this August, a phenomenon that hasn’t occurred in 120 years. Although totality will be visible from the south of the country, especially in the Ebro Delta and the Camp de Tarragona region, this unique event generates significant interest not only among astronomy enthusiasts but also among the general public.

The Astronomical Park offers a wide range of educational activities, workshops, and special planetarium sessions to explain the characteristics of a solar eclipse and help everyone plan their viewing from the areas where it will be fully visible.

Presentation of the 2026 Season’s New Features

All the new features for 2026 were explained today in Lleida by the president of Ferrocarrils, Carles Ruiz Novella, and the manager of the Montsec Astronomical Park (MAP), Salvador J. Ribas Rubio, accompanied by the president of the Noguera County Council, Miquel Plensa Martínez.

Starting this Friday, the general and family daytime sessions will include educational sessions about the August 12th eclipse, explaining how to observe it, where it can be observed, and the safety precautions to take when viewing a solar eclipse. Therefore, in addition to observation, emphasis will be placed on techniques so that visitors can be prepared.

In addition, starting in June, a new 2D nighttime tour will premiere alongside the regular screenings of 3clipse, an immersive journey that explains, in an accessible and visually spectacular way, the extraordinary three-year period of solar eclipses in 2026, 2027, and 2028, the only one that will be fully visible from the Iberian Peninsula. Through a dialogue between a grandmother and her granddaughter, the film combines science, history, and culture, showing how eclipses have fascinated humanity throughout the centuries and inviting viewers to experience them safely and with excitement.

Although total eclipses occur approximately every year and a half, the path of totality is very narrow, and from the same location, this spectacle can only be enjoyed every few centuries. In this case, totality will be particularly visible from the Ebro Delta and the Camp de Tarragona region, lasting a maximum of one and a half minutes, with the sun very low on the horizon, making it essential to choose the right viewing spot.

Beyond the visual spectacle, a total eclipse is a unique window into science. During these brief minutes, the solar corona, the Sun’s outer layer, which is normally hidden by its brightness, can be observed. Sudden changes in light and temperature are also recorded, affecting the behavior of fauna and flora. For astronomers, it’s an opportunity to study phenomena such as solar prominences and improve their understanding of stellar activity. All of this makes the eclipse much more than a spectacle: it’s a chance to connect with nature and science simultaneously.

Ruiz emphasized that the eclipse is a “unique and exceptional phenomenon, not only for the general public but also in the scientific community.” “At the MAP, a leading center for astronomy outreach, we are dedicating all our resources to ensure that the public can view the eclipse safely and securely,” he explained.

The New Radio Telescope

This year, 2026, will also see the start of open sessions with the MAP’s new radio telescope. Starting in the spring, it will be available to both visitors and for practical sessions for university students. The MAP is the first astronomy outreach center to have this facility, which allows observation of the sky in different energy ranges, even through clouds, and will be especially useful for solar observation during daytime visits. A radio telescope allows observation of the sky with a type of light different from visible light: radio waves. It allows observation of the brightest objects both day and night, and even in adverse weather conditions.

The incorporation of this infrastructure is one of the winning projects of FGC’s 2024 Participatory Budget. Through the participatory budgeting process, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) involves and empowers the company’s various stakeholders, both internal and external, in decisions regarding a portion of its investment budget.

The radio telescope is 3 meters in diameter and is installed in the MAP’s “Parc de Telescopis,” the area reserved for observing the sky, both day and night. It comprises three buildings with astronomical domes and space for the installation of the Astronomical Park’s portable telescopes.

More school groups

The third new feature is the extension of visiting hours for groups, especially school groups. Until now, visits were only available from Tuesday to Thursday, but now they are also available on Mondays. “Last year we had nearly 4,500 Catalan students, and we had to turn some groups away because that’s the maximum we can accommodate. Therefore, this year we’re opening an extra day to meet the growing demand from this group, especially during the spring and autumn months,” Carles Ruiz explained at the presentation.

Other Activities

In addition to these new features, the Montsec Astronomical Park is preparing many more activities for 2026. The main ones are:

– Starting this Friday, and to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a 7 minute short film will be screened paying tribute to Maria Assumpció Català i Poch, the first professional female astronomer at a Spanish university. The film, which will be shown throughout 2026, reviews her career from its beginnings to her key role in astronomical research.

– Also in celebration of the Gaudí Year, a workshop called “Mosaics of Light” has been created. This family workshop on magical optics uses polarized sheets to create dynamic mosaics and stained-glass windows that change according to the light and orientation. Inspired by Gaudí’s trencadís (broken tile mosaic), participants will be able to play with color, symmetry, and texture while discovering optical concepts in a fun and creative way.

– This spring, the new exhibition “100 Years of Planetarium History” will open, celebrating the centenary of the first modern planetarium, inaugurated in 1925 at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. The exhibition, which has toured the world, traces a century of technological and cultural evolution of these unique spaces for scientific outreach. The exhibition arrives at MAP in 2026.

– Combined activity: Yoga + nighttime visit + local product gastronomy. This will be offered once a month during May, June, July, and August.

– Stargazing activities at other Ferrocarrils sites. For the past two years, stargazing sessions have been held at the Vall de Núria mountain station. This year, they will also be offered at Boí Taüll.

– In addition, MAP continues its three unique annual activities. First, the Music Under the Stars series, which will take place between late summer and autumn. This will be its 16th edition. Second, the Astronomy Festival, now in its 12th year, will be held from October 10th to 12th. And finally, the 3rd edition of Christmas at the Astronomical Park.