The next major total solar eclipse will take place on August 2, 2027, with totality lasting up to 6 minutes and 22 seconds

Last week, we witnessed an exceptional astronomical phenomenon — a solar eclipse that generated enormous interest both in Andorra and across the Iberian Peninsula. The event once again demonstrated the enduring fascination with astronomy and its potential as a driver of tourism. But astronomy today is about much more than eclipses and sky observation. It is going through a period of major discoveries. Modern telescopes and new technological tools, including AI, allow us to observe the universe as never before and come closer to unlocking its greatest mysteries. We spoke to Joan-Marc Miralles, an Andorran astrophysicist with a PhD from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France, about how stars and galaxies are born, what dark matter and dark energy are, and whether life exists beyond Earth. Interview: Irina Rybalchenko To begin, let’s talk about the importance of the sky. Why do human beings need to look up at the sky and reflect on life? How can we explain this fascination? Because the sky is universal. It can be observed from anywhere on the planet. It is part of our environment, just like the earth, the sea and the air. We know that since prehistoric times, human beings have observed the sky and left numerous records of their fascination with the stars. The sky has also been perceived as something magical and has been closely associated with mythology. This fascination with the sky is therefore universal and transcends cultures, eras and borders. We find it in Europe, China, America and many other parts of the world. The Chinese, Greeks, Egyptians and Babylonians developed highly advanced astronomical observation systems many centuries before our era. In the Americas, the Mayans and Aztecs also built astronomical observatories. All these civilizations developed a sophisticated understanding of astronomical phenomena. Modern telescopes have allowed us to look increasingly far into space — and therefore further back in time. What have they enabled us to discover that would have seemed impossible just 20 or 30 years ago? And what new discoveries can we expect in the years ahead? Well, the instrument that is currently pushing the boundaries of our knowledge the furthest is the James Webb Space Telescope, which has a 6.5-metre-diameter mirror. It is located at a special point in the Sun-Earth system, specifically the L2 Lagrange point, more than 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. It was launched about four years ago and primarily observes in the near- and mid-infrared. The telescope has enabled us to study the earliest galaxies and better understand how they formed, very close to the time of the Big Bang, when the universe was only a few hundred million years old. It has also discovered objects known as the “Little Red Dots”, which existed around 500 million years after the Big Bang and have fundamentally changed our understanding of how galaxies formed. Until now, we thought that galaxies formed through the gradual accumulation of stars. We are now seeing that, very soon after the Big Bang, relatively massive and already highly developed objects existed. They could be associated with the first supermassive black holes and the early stages of galaxy formation. We still do not know exactly what these Little Red Dots are. There are several hypotheses. Some researchers believe they could be related to primordial black holes that formed shortly after the Big Bang and began accumulating gas around them. But their exact nature remains unknown. All of this is changing our understanding of galaxy formation and, at the same time, the way we view galaxies in our own cosmic neighbourhood. The James Webb Space Telescope is also studying planets orbiting other stars and, in some cases, their atmospheres. But large telescopes have always transformed our understanding of astronomy. Every major revolution in astronomy has been accompanied by a revolution in the way we observe the sky. In the early 20th century, we used photographic plates and relied on people to analyse them, count objects and measure their dimensions. Then came digital cameras and larger telescopes, allowing us to use computers and analyse much larger volumes of information. Space telescopes followed, including Hubble, probably the best-known space telescope. Launched in 1990, it completely transformed our view of the universe. For example, observations of supernovae made with Hubble and other large telescopes led to the discovery of dark energy. Today, we have major observatories operating around the world, such as the VLT (Very Large Telescope) in Chile and the telescopes at the observatories in the Canary Islands. They continue to push the boundaries of what we can observe and understand about the universe. Artificial intelligence is also transforming the way astronomy is conducted. How does it help scientists analyse the enormous volumes of data generated by telescopes and make new discoveries? Yes, this is another stage in an evolution driven by technological development. Today, telescopes generate enormous volumes of data that would be impossible to analyse manually simply because of the scale of the information involved. Take the Rubin Observatory, for example. It can survey the entire sky visible from its location approximately once every three nights. This generates an enormous amount of data: millions of objects that need to be catalogued, located and analysed. This work can be carried out using programmes and algorithms specifically trained for these tasks. Astronomers have been using neural networks for several years, and these tools have now evolved into what we call artificial intelligence. These networks can be trained to catalogue objects, measure their shape and position, and analyse their colours, spectra and other characteristics. As increasingly sophisticated programmes become available, astronomers incorporate them into their work. Without these tools, it would be virtually impossible to process and make meaningful use of such vast amounts of data. Andorra is a mountainous country, with areas where light pollution is relatively low. What potential does the country have for developing astronomical observation, both professionally and among amateur astronomers? As far as professional observation is concerned, the possibilities in Andorra are limited. The feasibility of professional astronomical observation depends largely on the number of suitable nights available throughout the year. Today, building a professional telescope or observatory requires an investment of many millions of euros. For example, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is currently being built in Chile. With a 39-metre-diameter mirror, it will be the world’s largest optical and infrared telescope. A mountain peak in Chile has been selected specifically for the project because a site at this altitude and with these conditions is required to host such a large instrument, which represents the cutting edge of modern astronomy. Installing a large telescope in Andorra would be very difficult because we do not have enough nights with suitable observing conditions. Therefore, we cannot consider Andorra an ideal location. First, light pollution is not as low as we might think, because population centres are relatively close. Professional telescopes are generally installed far away from any population centres. They require very dark skies. Secondly, Andorra’s weather conditions are not stable enough to guarantee a sufficient number of observing nights. A professional telescope needs to make use of virtually every available observing opportunity throughout the year. An hour of observation time on an instrument of this scale is extremely expensive, and losing observing time means losing both financial resources and scientific opportunities. Therefore, from a professional perspective, Andorra is not an ideal location. Near Andorra, we have the Pic du Midi, for example, which has an observatory. It was built at the end of the 19th century and, naturally, has little in common with today’s modern observatories. Nevertheless, it has some very interesting telescopes. If Andorra were truly suitable for professional astronomy, professional telescopes would have been installed here long ago. For amateur astronomy, however, the situation is very different. The La Massana area and the Comapedrosa Natural Park have obtained Starlight recognition, which certifies the quality of the sky and its favourable conditions for astronomical observation. There are probably other places in Andorra with similar conditions that have not yet sought this certification. The key is to find locations with a broad view of the sky, where the horizon is not excessively obstructed by mountains, at a certain altitude and, above all, away from urban centres. We should also address this at the level of the communes and different parishes, ensuring that street and public-space lighting is designed to minimise light pollution as much as possible and protect the quality of the night sky. Beyond scientific observation, can astronomy become a tourist attraction for Andorra? We already know that this type of tourism can work, because we have seen it in many places. There are currently several Starlight initiatives and associations, for example, across the Iberian Peninsula, and astrotourism has been developing in a number of regions. There are successful examples nearby, such as the Prades Astronomical Observatory, which demonstrates that this type of tourism can attract visitors. Prades, in fact, has developed a specific tourism offering around astronomical observation. I don’t know whether it is simply a trend, but astrotourism is an activity that can be sustained over time. We have seen this, for example, with eclipses: astronomical phenomena continue to attract hundreds of thousands of people. They generate considerable excitement and can also have a significant economic impact. We have seen this in many places where local authorities have organised activities around eclipses and used them to develop specific tourism offerings. Andorra Comapedrosa is already a Starlight Tourist Reserve and Destination. In addition, Andorra will host the Starlight International Astrotourism Meeting in 2027. In fact, last week we experienced a solar eclipse. What exactly happens during a solar eclipse, how often do they occur, and when will we be able to observe the next one? A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and, in the case of a total eclipse, completely covers the solar disk. We are fortunate to witness a remarkable coincidence: although the Moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun, it is also approximately 400 times closer to Earth. As a result, under certain conditions, it can completely cover the solar disk. The distance between the Earth and the Moon, and between the Earth and the Sun, varies, which also causes their apparent sizes in the sky to change slightly. Solar eclipses do not occur every month because the Moon’s orbit is tilted by about five degrees relative to the ecliptic, the plane in which the Earth orbits the Sun. For an eclipse to occur, the Moon must cross this plane at one of two points known as nodes, while the necessary alignment must also occur. This is why there are generally two eclipse seasons each year, although the number of solar eclipses can vary. Sometimes the Moon is farther from Earth and its apparent diameter is slightly smaller than that of the Sun. In this case, rather than a total eclipse, an annular eclipse occurs, with a ring of sunlight visible around the Moon. One example will be the annular eclipse in January 2028, which will also be visible from several parts of Spain. The next major total solar eclipse will take place on August 2, 2027. The path of totality will cross the southern Iberian Peninsula, particularly parts of Cádiz, Málaga, Granada and Almería, as well as Ceuta and Melilla, before continuing across North Africa to Egypt. In Egypt, particularly in the Luxor area, totality will last approximately 6 minutes and 22 seconds. On the Iberian Peninsula, it will be shorter: in Ceuta, for example, it will last almost five minutes, while in Cádiz and Málaga it will be shorter still. The key difference compared with the August 12, 2026 eclipse is that, in the areas where totality was visible, the Sun was much lower on the horizon. When the Sun is lower, the Moon’s shadow moves faster across the Earth’s surface and, as a result, the period of totality is shorter. In 2027, by contrast, the eclipse will occur in the morning, with the Sun higher in the sky, allowing for a longer period of totality. Eclipses played an important role in many ancient civilisations. Beyond their astronomical significance, what influence did they have on daily life and on political, religious or social decisions? Obviously, both the Sun and the Moon have been associated with many ideologies and religions. Solar and lunar eclipses could therefore have implications for religious ceremonies and beliefs. But since the earliest days of astronomy, we have understood the importance of being able to predict eclipses, because information is power. The ability to predict when an eclipse would occur has always been highly valued. We know, for example, that the Chinese had eclipse tables as early as around 2,000 years before our era. There is even a story about astronomers in the Chinese Empire who failed to correctly predict a solar eclipse and, according to tradition, were beheaded for failing to do their job properly. There is also the story of Christopher Columbus, who arrived in Jamaica in 1504. His expedition had run out of food or water and asked the local inhabitants for help, but they refused. Columbus had an almanac predicting a lunar eclipse at that time. According to the story, Columbus told the local people that if they did not cooperate, God would punish them by making the Moon disappear. The eclipse did indeed occur. The local inhabitants eventually provided them with food, and when the eclipse ended, Columbus told them that it was because they had behaved well. This anecdote is widely told. I am somewhat sceptical of it, however, because it is difficult to believe that Columbus could have accurately predicted a total eclipse without knowing its precise location. It may have happened that way, but in any case, it is one of the stories that has been passed down. Stars are born, evolve and eventually die. What must happen for a huge mass of gas to become a star, and what determines its fate? We still don’t know exactly why a huge mass of gas eventually gives rise to a star. What we do know is that stars are not usually born alone, but in groups or clusters. They are typically born in groups, and binary stars , two stars that form a pair, are very common. We believe that star formation can be triggered by different mechanisms, such as a supernova explosion or the shock waves generated when two galaxies collide. These waves can compress large masses of gas that are in a relatively unstable state of equilibrium. When something destabilises them, these masses of gas collapse under their own gravity and fragment into smaller concentrations, which continue to collapse. When one of these regions reaches sufficient mass and density, nuclear fusion begins: hydrogen atoms fuse to form helium, releasing a large amount of energy. From this point onwards, an equilibrium is established: gravity tends to pull the star towards its centre, while the energy produced by nuclear fusion exerts outward pressure. It is this balance that keeps a star like our Sun stable for most of its life. When nuclear fusion stops in the core, the star evolves and can end its life in different ways, depending on its mass. It can become a white dwarf, a neutron star, which is much more compact than a white dwarf, or, if it is massive enough, a black hole. Very massive stars can first explode as supernovae, leaving behind a neutron star or a black hole. This is, broadly speaking, the life cycle of stars, which we understand quite well today. What we still cannot fully explain is why certain masses of gas and molecular hydrogen in star-forming regions fragment and give rise to hundreds of thousands or even millions of stars. The Sun is somewhat unusual because it is not part of a binary system, but is an isolated star. However, it was also born in a star-forming region, together with many other stars that gradually became separated over time. And finally, one of the great questions in astronomy: is there life beyond Earth? What does science tell us today about this possibility? Yes, it is a great question. If life exists beyond Earth, we have not found it yet. This is the evidence we have today: we have no proof that life exists outside our planet. However, we have searched for it and continue to do so in different places, including some of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, as well as planets outside our solar system. What we do know is that the elements that make up life are relatively common in the universe. A few years ago, we thought that water was very rare, but today we know that it exists in many other places. For example, we have found evidence of water, both present and in the past, on several bodies in our solar system. We also know that liquid water exists beneath thick layers of ice on some of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Europa, for example, is one such place where we know there is an ocean of liquid water beneath a layer of ice several kilometres thick. It is possible that there is more water outside Earth, within our solar system, than there is on Earth itself. We have also discovered that comets contain molecules and chemical elements that form part of the chemical basis of life, and that some of these molecules are also present in clouds of gas and dust around other stars. There is a theory that suggests that some of the ingredients necessary for the emergence of life on Earth could have arrived from space, carried by comets and asteroids during the early period of bombardment of our planet. This hypothesis is known as panspermia, but it has not been proven. So, we know that water and carbon-based chemical elements exist in the universe and that they are relatively common. We also know that planets are found around virtually every star, that our galaxy contains hundreds of billions of stars, and that there are billions of galaxies in the universe. So it is entirely possible that life exists elsewhere. What we need to do is find it. The post The next major total solar eclipse will take place on August 2, 2027, with totality lasting up to 6 minutes and 22 seconds first appeared on All PYRENEES.