Present

The Government is organizing a conference in Terres de l'Ebre to coordinate the institutional, scientific and security deployment ahead of the event on August 12, 2026. The meeting was attended by international scientists, astronomical heritage managers and emergency and security officials.

The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, closed this morning the conference “Countdown: everything ready for the eclipse of the century”, held at the Arròs Interpretation Centre La Torra in Camarles (Baix Ebre), which took place one month before the total solar eclipse that will be visible in Catalonia on August 12, with a special impact on the south of the country. During his speech, the Head of the Executive stated that “the eclipse is an excellent opportunity to share a collective look at the sky”.

President Illa highlighted that “Catalonia does not want to experience the eclipse only as a spectator, but also as a scientific protagonist” and highlighted that it is a unique opportunity “to bring science closer to everyone”.

The Head of Government stated that “a country with science is a more prosperous country”. A science that, according to the President, must be “at the service of the general interest and the common good”.

Finally, Illa appealed to view the eclipse with “responsibility” and always “following the safety recommendations, respecting the observation points set up and taking care of the territory at all times”.

For her part, the Minister of Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat, highlighted that “Catalonia is firmly committed to taking advantage of the eclipse of August 12 not only in its dimension as a massive social event, but also as a special and practically unrepeatable occasion to promote scientific research and connect society with knowledge of the reality that surrounds us”.

The event, organized by the Department of Research and Universities, has been conceived as a space for dialogue and reflection to publicize the deployment of the institutional campaign and the research projects linked to the eclipse, placing special emphasis on citizen safety and inclusive scientific dissemination.

Science, safety and inclusion: the main themes of the day

During the morning, several round tables were held with the participation of top-level experts. The first debate, dedicated to the historical and heritage dimension of astronomy, claiming the fundamental role of observatories in research and dissemination, was attended by the researcher of the Ebro Observatory, Juan José Curto Subirats; the director of the Montsec Astronomical Park, Salvador Ribas Rubio; the director of the Fabra Observatory, Javier Martín Vide, and the heads of preservation and dissemination of the Casa Pratdesaba, Anna Alsina and Toni Ylla-Català.

Security and Emergencies were the main focus of the second table of the morning, with an analysis of the coordination mechanism to guarantee safe and orderly observation, addressing mobility, fire prevention and eye protection. The Director General of Civil Protection, Marta Cassany; the Director General of the Catalan Traffic Service, Ramon Lamiel; the general director of Rural Agents, Elisenda Pérez; the deputy general director of 112 Catalonia, Andreu Alfonso, and the general director of the Police, Josep Lluís Trapero.

The debate then focused on the dimension of research and citizen science, with the presentation of the collaborative science project SOLARIS and the “Inclusive Eclipse” initiative, which uses LightSound technology to allow people with visual disabilities to live the experience through sound. The researcher from the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC), Jorge Rivero; the head of Culture of ONCE in Catalonia, Laura Coca, and the general director of Research, Teresa Sanchis, took part.

Finally, a panel made up of astrophysicist and former director of the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), Ignasi Ribas, and the vice-president of the Alliance of Historical Observatories (AHO), Annie Mejía, reflected on the horizons of astronomy, the great discoveries of the universe and the importance of international cooperation.