NASA APOD highlights golden solar corona from Spain eclipse

NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) has featured an image of the total solar eclipse observed in Spain, capturing a solar corona that appeared unusually golden. The daily service, a collaboration between the Astrophysics Science Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Science Activation, and Michigan Technological University, showcased the photograph on 17 August 2026.

The eclipse occurred on 12 August 2026, traversing the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic, Portugal, and northern Spain. In Spain, totality coincided with the setting Sun near the horizon, a geometric alignment that significantly influenced the visual characteristics of the event.

Sunlight travelling through a large amount of air near the horizon scattered out blue light, creating a base of warm tones. This atmospheric effect was compounded by smoke from nearby forest fires, which acted as a second filter. The smoke further scattered remaining blue tones, deepening the gold-dominated light that reached observers on the ground.

The featured image was captured in Benavente, Spain, by Rui Santos of Living Impressions. It is an HDR-processed, multiple-exposure photograph that documents the unusual colouration. While the corona appeared golden, a hydrogen-glowing prominence hovering over the Sun’s left edge retained its original bright pink colour, providing a stark contrast to the surrounding aureole.

Previous coverage from the APOD service included an image of the diamond ring effect and solar corona emerging from Greenland, published on 14 August 2026. That image, credited to Aditya Madhavan, was taken along Rype Fjord on Greenland’s east coast at 17:33:26 UTC. The Spanish eclipse marked the second major stop for the event’s path across land before it moved into the Atlantic.