Confirmed: Spain's eclipse was not total and the glasses were unsafe

The eclipse that was not total: failed forecasts and uncertified glasses

The solar eclipse that crossed Spain has sparked a controversy that goes beyond astronomy. What some experts had antiestéticared has been confirmed: it was not total, or at least not to the extent announced. According to a source with access to the European Space Agency's (ESA) calculations, the forecasts on duration and totality were "a disaster".

In Burgos and Soria, 1 minute and 40 seconds of total darkness were expected; the reality was 10-12 seconds. The difference is no small matter: attendees, confused, took off their glasses to check whether the eclipse was already over. The problem is that the official glasses, handed out free of charge, were so dark that as soon as the radiation dropped, nothing could be seen through them. Result: between 30 and 40 seconds of direct exposure to solar radiation, according to complaints.

The discontent goes beyond eye health. It has been pointed out that some batches of glasses did not meet the ISO standard, amounting to outright fraud in public procurement. Attention has also been drawn to the silence of SpaceX and its chief executive, Elon Musk, in the face of protests from employees over the faulty calculations.

Amid the noise, one cold fact: at 20:28 the eclipse was captured with a filter. And an uncomfortable question: if totality was so short, why were thousands of glasses sold for a phenomenon that barely existed?

Final responsibility lies with those who took off their glasses, but also with those who sold a safety that was no such thing. Next time, perhaps it would be wise to do the calculations twice. And we are not talking about economics.