Why will Malaga province be one of the best places in the world to watch the 2027 eclipse?

The people of Malaga, both in the city and along the coast, will, alongside the inhabitants of Cadiz and Campo de Gibraltar, be the lucky winners of this lottery.

What they experienced this Wednesday, with the partial eclipse, was merely "a taster of what is to come in Malaga next year". This is how the renowned Malaga-born astrophysicist Alberto Castro-Tirado, a researcher at the Andalusian institute of astrophysics and scientific director of the city's future planetarium, describes it.

The global excitement that this upcoming phenomenon has already generated is entirely justified. The conditions along the Andalusian Mediterranean coast are close to perfect. "The totality phase in the central part of the eclipse, which more or less crosses the Strait of Gibraltar, will last for almost five minutes," Castro-Tirado says. It will only be surpassed by Egypt, where it will last for six minutes.

In Malaga city, which will not lie exactly on the path of the eclipse, observers will be able to enjoy almost two minutes of total darkness. The further south you go, out towards the sea, the better the view will be. Areas such as Estepona and Marbella will experience a longer duration. In Antequera, however, the eclipse will not be total, but 99 per cent total.

The 2027 eclipse will be a total zenithal eclipse, as it will take place between 10am and 11am, with the sun high in the sky, unlike this year's eclipse, which took place at sunset. "The sun's altitude will be ideal for viewing," the researcher says.

It will occur at around 40 degrees above the horizon, so there will be no obstructions from mountains, trees or urban buildings. "It will be visible from anywhere, which will make everything much easier." Malaga also benefits from favourable weather conditions, with a high probability of clear skies.

"It will be getting dark, in a sort of twilight with the brightest stars and planets in the sky and the solar corona will be visible, something you cannot see any other way. It is an absolute sensory experience, the most magnificent spectacle that nature has to offer. It is not just the sight of a black disc in the sky: it is the drop in temperature that begins an hour beforehand, the breeze that picks up, the deathly silence… The birds stop singing and all living creatures are left bewildered," Castro-Tirado says.

He anticipates a huge impact on tourism across the entire province and predicts the arrival of "hundreds of thousands, not to mention a million" eclipse enthusiasts in the Costa del Sol and in the Campo de Gibraltar during those days. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There won't be another like it."

The event on 2 August will bring the Costa del Sol to a standstill. The Malaga astronomy society (SMA) warns of the event's enormous impact on tourism and society and calls for institutional foresight and strict adherence to eye protection measures.

Blanca Troughton, the institution's long-serving former president, and Rosa López, its current head, agree that this year's eclipse in northern Spain has served as a prelude to next year's major event in the south.

The path of totality will not cover the entire province, leaving the interior out. "The Costa del Sol is going to be absolutely packed," Troughton warns, having already observed the mass influx of astronomy tourists at many other similar events she has witnessed around the world.

Rosa López is concerned about the inaction of local authorities in the face of the impending influx. "We are surprised that many of the local councils we have spoken to are still unaware of the enormous impact this event will have." The SMA president is therefore calling on coastal local councils to start preparing now for the scale of next summer's eclipse in Malaga.

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