Pedro Duque, astronaut and president of Hispasat, has warned Spaniards to buy certified eye protection for the solar eclipse on August 12, 2026.
The warning comes as Spain prepares for a total eclipse that will leave one third of the country in complete darkness for several minutes. Totality will cross much of the northern half of the Iberian peninsula and the Balearic Islands, while other regions will experience a partial eclipse.
Duque urged the public not to risk their vision with homemade methods, cautioning that diminishing sunlight during the event can cause observers to lower their guard. Although discomfort decreases as the Moon covers the solar disk, solar radiation continues to reach the retina during partial phases and can inflict severe damage without producing pain at the time.
In a video published by Hispasat on LinkedIn, Duque urged viewers to look for certified glasses bearing the CE mark and compliance with international standard ISO 12312-2. He recommended purchasing protection in advance from specialized establishments, opticians, pharmacies, or trusted online retailers.
Certification and filter requirements
Spain's National Geographic Institute specifies that the valid reference is EN ISO 12312-2:2015, a standard distinct from the one regulating conventional sunglasses. Safe solar filters must restrict visible light transmission to a maximum of 0.0032 percent while also limiting ultraviolet and infrared radiation. Regular dark sunglasses cannot protect the eye regardless of how much glare they reduce.
Duque advised inspecting eye protection thoroughly before use. Glasses should show no scratches, perforations, stains, folds, or areas detached from the frame. Packaging and frames must carry legible manufacturer details, instructions, and warnings. Printed lettering alone does not guarantee compliance, as the CE marking must be visibly backed by official testing.
Optical equipment and child safety
Optical instruments such as cameras, binoculars, spotting scopes, and telescopes require their own solar filter mounted in front of the objective lens. Duque warned against pointing unprotected optical gear at the Sun, noting that glasses worn on the face do not protect against concentrated light beams that can melt ocular filters. This caution also applies when setting up observations using astronomy applications.
Adults must maintain continuous supervision over children to ensure they do not remove their protective glasses out of curiosity. Eye protection may only be removed during complete totality when the solar disk is entirely covered, and must be replaced before the first flash of sunlight reappears. In regions viewing a partial eclipse, protection must be worn throughout the entire observation.
Duque emphasized that X-rays, smoked glass, optical disks, and improvised homemade filters provide no safe alternative to certified solar protection.
