ESA Space Science

On 12 August 2026, Europe witnessed the first total solar eclipse in over two decades. Millions of people were awed by the Moon completely covering the Sun's bright disc, briefly turning day into night and revealing the Sun's outer atmosphere. Totality could be seen from Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Portugal, while most of the rest of Europe saw a partial eclipse.

[English] Experience a musical simulation of the 12 August 2026 total solar eclipse as seen from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (Spain). Click here for information about ESA’s live broadcast from this observatory, or visit esa.int/solareclipse for an overview of all ESA eclipse activities & resources. 

This is a ‘musification’ – an artistic interpretation of a set of data. In this case, the eclipse determines when and how much of each sound is heard. The music is simply the way those data are presented.

This musification is a collaboration ESA’s CESAR team and Rubén García Benito from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC). It uses nine parameters extracted from a Stellarium simulation of the total solar eclipse:

Arpeggio (the rapid succession of notes): Visible sunlight. Its rhythm, range (spanning almost four octaves), and volume are determined by the light itself; the chord follows the colour of the sky. It fades out as the Sun sets. (The data determine the behaviour; the scale and pattern are artistic choices.)

Pad (background chord): The colour of the light; the redder and warmer the light becomes, the darker the chord. (The colour is the data.)

Bass (sub): The weight of the darkness; deepest during totality. (Data-driven.)

Heartbeat: The tension, reflecting how quickly the light is falling; it comes to rest during totality. (Data: rate of change.)

Bells: The actual contacts C1, C2, maximum eclipse and C3 (there is no C4, as the Sun sets before the eclipse ends). (Sonification: marking a real moment in time.)

Shimmering sound during totality: The solar corona. (A musical element placed at the real event.)

Descending whoosh: The exact moment when the Sun disappears behind the horizon. (An icon of the event; not measured wind.)

Low night drone: The onset of night (entering when the Sun passes below the horizon). (Data: when it happens and to what extent.)

Stars (soft sparkling tones): The stars that become visible at night (but not during totality). (Data: when they appear and how many are visible.)

[Spanish] Vive una simulación musical del eclipse solar total del 12 de agosto de 2026 tal como se verá desde el Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (España). Visita esa.int/solareclipse para consultar un resumen de todas las actividades y recursos de la ESA relacionados con el eclipse.

Se trata de una musificación, es decir, una interpretación artística de un conjunto de datos. En este caso, el eclipse determina cuándo se escucha cada sonido y con qué intensidad. La música es simplemente la forma en que se presentan esos datos.

Esta musificación es fruto de una colaboración entre el equipo CESAR de la ESA y Rubén García Benito, del Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC). Utiliza nueve parámetros extraídos de una simulación del eclipse solar total realizada con Stellarium:

• Arpegio (rápida sucesión de notas): La luz solar visible. Su ritmo, extensión (que abarca casi cuatro octavas) y volumen están determinados por la propia luz; el acorde sigue el color del cielo. Se desvanece a medida que el Sol se pone. (Los datos determinan el comportamiento; la escala y el patrón son elecciones artísticas).
• Pad (acorde de fondo): El color de la luz. Cuanto más rojiza y cálida se vuelve la luz, más oscuro es el acorde. (El color es el dato).
• Grave (subgrave): El peso de la oscuridad, que alcanza su máxima intensidad durante la totalidad. (Basado en datos).
• Latido: La tensión, que refleja la rapidez con la que disminuye la luz; se calma durante la totalidad. (Dato: tasa de cambio).
• Campanas: Los contactos reales C1, C2, máximo eclipse y C3 (no hay C4 porque el Sol se pone antes de que termine el eclipse). (Sonificación: marca un instante real en el tiempo).
• Brillo suspendido durante la totalidad: La corona solar. (Elemento musical situado en el momento real del acontecimiento).
• Soplo descendente: El instante exacto en que el Sol desaparece tras el horizonte. (Un recurso sonoro que representa el evento; no se trata de viento medido).
• Zumbido (dron) nocturno grave: El inicio de la noche (cuando el Sol desciende por debajo del horizonte). (Datos: cuándo ocurre y en qué grado).
• Estrellas (suaves tonos centelleantes): Las estrellas que se hacen visibles durante la noche (pero no durante la totalidad). (Datos: cuándo aparecen y cuántas son visibles).

When the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, it casts a shadow onto Earth's surface. For people in the darkest part of this shadow, the face of the Sun is totally blocked out, and its wispy atmosphere becomes visible.

On Wednesday 12 August, such a shadow will cross Greenland, Iceland, northeastern Portugal and Spain. With this being the first total eclipse visible from mainland Spain since 1905, the European Space Agency (ESA) has decided to do something special.

ESA’s live broadcast from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre will allow anyone to experience this rare phenomenon from anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, the Agency is working with the City and University of León to organise a free in-person event, inviting people to come together for a day of interactive workshops, talks and live observations.

Find out more

Using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers have discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to the supermassive black hole at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy. The observations reveal that the evolved star IRS 3 continues to enrich its surroundings with newly formed material despite the intense radiation environment around Sagittarius A*.

Observing across the starry 'plains' of space, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has taken images of NGC 2392, nicknamed the Lion Nebula.

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope previously viewed this planetary nebula in 2000, imaging the lion face-shaped target in visible light and revealing features such as the “mane” of hazy, comet-shaped objects. Now Webb has captured a clearer, more detailed view of the Lion Nebula due to its high-resolution imaging.

At first glance the nebula’s overall structure in Webb’s infrared images, both with the NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), may look quite similar to Hubble's earlier visible-light view. However, Webb's infrared vision highlights features like compact clumps of dust and haze of ionised gas. It’s taken several thousand years for this collection of gas and dust to reach its current shape, and the nebula’s components continue to be altered.

The source of these constant changes and the reason for the Lion Nebula’s distinct appearance is located at the centre: the remains of a dying star. Though it looks like the button nose of the lion, the central white dwarf's energy is powering the intricate structures seen here.

The bubble of ionised gas, which forms the lion’s face, is expanding over time and destroying dust that is in its path. Understanding the reason for why the swept-up gas has a complex structure of rings and shells, a common feature in planetary nebulae, is an ongoing endeavor.

The mane of the lion is the interior of a dust shell that is being illuminated by the white dwarf at the centre. The tufts of hair, which look like cometary tails of material, are compact clumps of dust that have survived the stellar core’s radiation and are protecting the material that lies behind them.

Webb’s imagery “freezes” this planetary nebula in time, though the star's death, and its tumultuous effects, go on. NGC 2392 will continue to undergo changes as its gas and dust migrate away from the stellar core. Astronomers estimate that the lion will eventually disperse in approximately 10,000 years — a relatively short period in astronomical terms.

[Image description: Planetary nebula NGC 2392, also called the Lion Nebula, against the black background of space. The nebula is in the centre, circular in shape, and looks like a male lion’s head. In the very centre is a small, pinkish-white circle with eight-point diffraction spikes, a white dwarf star. Surrounding the star are light purple-pink cavernous bubbles and shell-like rings. The bubbles and shells collectively form an oval with two small, wide arcs near the top, reminiscent of a lion’s face and its ears. What appears to be extended outward from the lion’s face is a thick ring of purple-blue material. The width of the ring is consistent throughout and resembles a mane.]

Links

• Release on esawebb.org
• Release on NASA website

On 12 August 2026, parts of Europe will experience a total solar eclipse. With the Sun's bright disc covered, its surrounding atmosphere – the solar corona – will become visible to the naked eye. Unfortunately, total solar eclipses are rare and last at most a few minutes, giving scientists little time to study the Sun’s enigmatic halo.  

This is why ESA developed missions that create eclipses artificially, and why experts use computer models to create digital simulations. So how do we do it, and why is it important? 

[English] On 12 August 2026, Europe will witness one of nature’s most spectacular events: a total solar eclipse starting at 19:30 CEST.

As the Moon’s shadow sweeps across Spain, join the European Space Agency live from Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre where Dame Dr. Maggie Aderin and ESA scientists will fill you in on everything you need to know about the eclipse and reveal the science behind the spectacle.

Are you watching from Spain? Join ESA in León at Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de León for a day of science, hands-on activities and safe eclipse viewing.

Whether you're under the path of totality or watching from across the globe, ESA is your front-row seat to the cosmos.

Watch live here:

https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency

 https://watch.esa.int/

Learn more about the event in León.

Safe eclipse watching.

[Spanish] El 12 de Agosto de 2026, Europa será testigo de uno de los espectáculos más impresionantes de la naturaleza: un eclipse total de Sol, que comenzará a las 19:30 CEST.

Mientras la sombra de la Luna recorre España, acompaña a la Agencia Espacial Europea en directo desde el Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre, donde la Dra. Maggie Aderin y científicos de la ESA te explicarán todo lo que necesitas saber sobre el eclipse y descubrirán la ciencia que se esconde detrás de este extraordinario fenómeno.

¿Vas a verlo desde España? Únete a la ESA en el Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de León para disfrutar de una jornada llena de ciencia, actividades interactivas y observación segura del eclipse.

Tanto si te encuentras bajo la franja de totalidad como si lo sigues desde cualquier otro lugar del mundo, la ESA te ofrece un asiento en primera fila para vivir este espectáculo del cosmos.

Sigue la retransmisión en directo aquí:

https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency

https://watch.esa.int/

Más información sobre el evento en León.

Mira el eclipse de forma segura.

This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month takes us to a fantastical realm within our home galaxy, where piercing starlight and billowing winds sculpt dust clouds into inventive shapes. This scene is from the Carina Nebula, which lies just 7500 light-years away in the constellation Carina (the Keel).

Spanning roughly 260 light-years, the nebula is home to an incredible collection of objects, including the Cosmic Cliffs revealed in the first-ever Webb image release. The Carina Nebula is also the nearest high-mass star-forming region that allows astronomers to study the full range of star formation. This nebula houses some of the most massive stars in our galaxy as well as tens of thousands of protostars, offering a valuable opportunity to understand how stars shape their neighbourhoods.

The feature highlighted in today’s image, aptly called the Treasure Chest, looks right at home in this celestial sculpture garden. The Treasure Chest is what’s known as a cometary globule. A cometary globule is an isolated cloud of gas and dust with a dense, dark head and a sweeping tail. These clouds often somewhat resemble comets, but the Treasure Chest looks distinctly like a wooden chest with its lid wide open.

However, this chest doesn’t contain jewels or gold coins, but instead a compact cluster of young stars. These stars are responsible for the otherworldly glow coming from within the Treasure Chest, revealed by Webb’s sensitive Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). Researchers estimate that the Treasure Chest’s cluster contains about 70 stars, the most massive of which is a rare O-type star roughly 19 times as massive as the Sun.

The star cluster is likely around 1.3 million years old, though earlier estimates found it to be as young as just 100 000 years old. Because of its youth, the cluster is still deeply embedded within the dusty clouds of the Treasure Chest. The individual stars in the cluster are wrapped up in dust as well; astronomers have found evidence that many of these stars are surrounded by circumstellar discs. Over time, the brilliant starlight from these young stars will dissipate the surrounding cloud and reveal the entire cluster.

The key to the Treasure Chest’s sculptural shape lies outside this image: just 39 light-years to the northwest, as measured on the sky, sits Eta Carinae, the most luminous object in the entire Carina Nebula. Eta Carinae is a star system containing at least two stars, one of which is 100 times as massive as the Sun. This star alone is about 5 million times as luminous as the Sun. Adding to this intense radiation is the nearby star cluster Trumpler 16, which also contains several extremely hot massive stars.

With Webb, astronomers have carried out an observing programme (#5408; PI: Reiter) dedicated to studying how young stars in the Carina Nebula collect gas from their surroundings and expel it through outflows.

[Image Description: A region of space filled with bright stars and clouds of gas. In the centre, the densest clouds form the shape of a chest with its lid open. The chest appears to glow from within. At its base it breaks apart into long pillars of thick gas. Many of the gas clouds in the background are dark orange globules, while others form large, pale hazes. A few brightly shining stars lie in the foreground, the biggest and brightest in front of the chest’s lid.]

• Release on esawebb.org

A total solar eclipse is coming to Europe. The European Space Agency (ESA) will broadcast live from 19:30 CEST on 12 August, allowing you to experience this rare event from anywhere in the world.

Quick links:
- Live ESA broadcast on YouTube (12 August, 19:30–20:45 CEST) 
- Event programme in León, Spain (12 August, 10:00–14:00 and 17:30–21:45 CEST)
- Overview of all ESA eclipse activities & resources

[English]: A solar eclipse is an unforgettable sight, but only if you watch it safely!

ESA reserve astronaut Sara García Alonso shows you how to enjoy this incredible cosmic event using certified eclipse glasses and explains why ordinary sunglasses are not enough.

Learn what happens during the different stages of an eclipse, when it is safe to look up, and how to experience one of the greatest shows in the Solar System without risking your eyes.

[Spanish]: Un eclipse solar es un espectáculo inolvidable, ¡pero solo si lo observas de forma Segura!

El astronauta de reserva de la ESA Pablo Álvarez Fernández te explica cómo disfrutar de este increíble fenómeno cósmico utilizando gafas de eclipse certificadas y por qué unas gafas de sol normales no son suficientes.

Descubre qué ocurre durante las distintas fases de un eclipse, cuándo es seguro mirar al Sol y cómo disfrutar de uno de los mayores espectáculos del Sistema Solar sin poner en Riesgo tu vista.

Discover the science behind one of nature's most extraordinary phenomena and experience a total solar eclipse with the European Space Agency (ESA), the City of León and the University of León.

Quick links:
- Overview of all ESA eclipse activities & resources
- Event in León, Spain: daytime programme and evening programme
- How to watch live from home (12 August, 19:30–20:45 CEST)

The European Space Agency’s terrestrial planet hunter Plato has recently completed a series of key tests inside the Maxwell Test Chamber at ESTEC, demonstrating that its electronic equipment is fit to work in space.

This photo captures the spacecraft standing inside the special chamber. The shielded enclosure features conducting metal walls, floor, and ceiling that form a Faraday cage, screening out all external interference. Its 9 m-high interior is lined floor to ceiling with foam spikes that absorb electrical signals and sounds to mimic the void of space.

Once the chamber was sealed closed, engineers remotely switched on and commanded Plato’s electronic equipment. They ran a series of tests to ensure that the spacecraft’s complex instruments and modules did not interfere with each other or with the communication systems, creating unwanted ‘crosstalk’.

In the extreme vacuum of space, a spacecraft’s electronics can behave differently than they do in a typical test lab on the ground. Without proper testing, this can have unforeseen consequences that could affect the mission’s goals or even damage the equipment.

Thanks to the tests run in the Maxwell Test Chamber, engineers verified that Plato’s many electronic systems can work together in space without interference – in other words, that they are electromagnetically compatible.

With compatibility checked off, Plato has now cleared the last remaining major exam in the series that the spacecraft must undertake to graduate for launch.

The exams started back in January this year with vibration and acoustic tests, followed by a month-long stay inside the Large Space Simulator where Plato aced a demanding set of tests and demonstrated that it is fit to withstand the harsh conditions of space.

Plato will lift off on an Ariane 6. Its launch is planned by Arianespace for March 2027.

[Image description: Photograph of a spacecraft towering at the centre of a large test chamber. The chamber's walls and ceiling are covered with dense rows of blue foam spikes that create a striking geometric pattern extending in all directions around the spacecraft. The right side of the spacecraft is dominated by shiny black, stowed, solar panels. The spacecraft body is partly visible on the left wrapped in reflective gold-coloured insulating foil and partially covered by a translucent protective sheet secured with small pieces of red tape.]

ESA experts explain the science of eclipses, including visibility and key opportunities for scientific observation.