During the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026, an unusual golden corona was observed in Spain. The low sun and smoke from forest fires filtered the blue light, while a pink hydrogen bulge stood out at the edge of the moon.
Translation: Nachum Shereshevsky
The total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026 was more than just a spectacular sight. It also created an extraordinary visual phenomenon: inSpain Seen crown of the sun In a bright golden hue, instead of the pearly white color usually associated with it.
The crown of theSun It is the thin outer atmosphere of the Sun. The intense light from the Sun obscures it most of the time, but during the full phase of the Eclipse The moon covers the bright disk of the sun and the corona becomes visible.
Some eclipse observers did indeed see the corona in its familiar bright hue. However, in parts of Spain it appeared a striking golden color. The difference was not due to a sudden change in the corona itself, but rather to the way the light passed through the atmosphere before reaching the observers and the camera.
Why does the eclipse look golden?
One of the main reasons was the low position of the sun. In Spain, the full moon occurred when the sun was already approaching the horizon at sunset.
When sunlight crosses the atmosphere at a low angle, it travels a longer distance through the air than when the sun is high in the sky. Molecules in the atmosphere scatter shorter wavelengths of visible light, especially blue light, more efficiently. This is the same basic process that gives sunsets and sunrises their red and orange hues.
In this case, another factor came into play: there was an unusual amount of smoke in the air from nearby forest fires. The smoke particles acted as another atmospheric filter, further weakening the blue tones and leaving the visible light dominated by warm and golden tones.
Dramatic view from Benevento
The image was taken during the eclipse from Benvenuta, Spain, and processed using the HDR technique, which is based on combining several exposures at different brightness levels. The combination allows for the display of both dim details in the corona and brighter areas, whose brightness ranges are very different, in a single image.
Not everything visible around the hidden sun was gold. Along the sun's left edge was a glowing hydrogen bulge—a vast structure of hot plasma extending outward from the sun's surface. The bulge retained its bright pink hue, creating a sharp contrast to the golden corona.
The photo illustrates how an astronomical event and the Earth's atmosphere can work together. The eclipse revealed the sun's corona, while the sun's position and wildfire smoke changed the color it appeared from the ground.
Questions and Answers
What is the solar corona?
The corona is the thin outer layer of the solar atmosphere. It extends vast distances from the Sun, but is difficult to see next to the strong light coming from the Sun's surface.
Did the crown itself turn golden?
No. The golden color was mainly the result of light scattering and filtering in Earth's atmosphere. The sun was low near the horizon, and smoke from forest fires increased the filtering of blue light.
Why did the solar flare remain pink?
The bulge emitted a characteristic hydrogen glow. Its reddish-pink hue remained prominent even when the light from the corona appeared golden.
What is HDR photography?
HDR, or high dynamic range photography, combines exposures at different brightness levels to show detail in very bright and dim areas together.
Sources and links for further information
- NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: A Golden Corona Eclipse
- Original report on SciTechDaily
- The total solar eclipse of 2026: Where can you see it in Europe?
- Two satellites created an artificial solar eclipse in space and studied the sun's corona
- When the Sun Goes Dark: Five Questions and Answers About Solar Eclipses
For the original publication: The original publication
More on the subject on the science website
- Perseverance photographed Phobos passing across the sun on Mars
- A total but brief solar eclipse in Europe on August 12: Only a narrow strip will experience total darkness
- This Sunday, a total lunar eclipse will paint the sky red for viewers in Europe, the Middle East, parts of Africa and Asia.
- April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse: Interview with Larry Wasserman, Wall Observatory on Double Stars, Kuiper Belt and Carl Sagan
- At the Pick of the eclipse, we also saw Jupiter
