APOD: 2026 August 17 – A Golden Corona Eclipse
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 17 – A… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. A Golden […]
On August 17, 2026, a total solar eclipse was observed not only as a visually stunning event but also as a scientifically intriguing phenomenon. The solar corona, typically appearing white, presented a golden hue during totality for observers in Spain. This unusual coloration was attributed to the low position of the setting Sun near the horizon, causing sunlight to travel through a large amount of air and scatter blue light.
Additionally, the presence of smoke from nearby forest fires further enhanced the golden appearance by scattering remaining blue tones and deepening the gold-dominated light. The HDR-processed, multiple-exposure image was captured from Benavente, Spain, last week. Notably, a hydrogen-glowing prominence hovering over the Sun's left edge retained its original bright pink color, standing out in contrast.
The image was credited to Rui Santos (Living Impressions), with the astronomy picture of the day authored by Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, and Keighley Rockcliffe, as a service of the ASD at NASA/GSFC, NASA Science Activation, and Michigan Tech.
Written by urgent.news from NASA's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- APOD: 2026 August 17 – A Golden Corona Eclipse science.nasa.gov
