RTVE Noticias launches ‘When Night Falls (for a Moment)’, a videopodcast about the 2026 solar eclipse

RTVE Noticias launches ‘When Night Falls (for a Moment)’, a special videopodcast dedicated to the total solar eclipse that will be visible in Spain on 12 August 2026. The programme is already available on RTVE Play and RNE Audio, and will also be broadcast on Radio 5 and RTVE Noticias’ social media channels.

The episode, produced by professionals from RTVE’s Digital Video department, uses the eclipse as a starting point to explain the scientific and environmental significance of an exceptional natural phenomenon. The programme covers the research that will be carried out during the event, the questions that the scientific community hopes to answer and the technology that will be used to record it.

Science, history and ecology surrounding the eclipse

The videopodcast connects different perspectives related to the eclipse, from science and exploration to history, ecology and technology. The programme also shows the anticipation generated by the phenomenon in one of the municipalities from which it can be observed in its entirety: Manzanares el Real, in Madrid.

RTVE journalist Daniel Cargol leads a conversation with Valentín Martínez Pillet, director of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, and Irene Mendoza, coordinator of Ecoeclipse, the project responsible for studying the eclipse’s impact on birds and bats.

Throughout the programme, the participants raise questions surrounding the phenomenon and explain the lines of research that will be launched during the eclipse. The content focuses both on astronomical observation and on the effects that the change in light may have on the environment and different species.

Special coverage from RTVE

‘When Night Falls (for a Moment)’ forms part of the special coverage that RTVE Noticias has prepared for the total solar eclipse on 12 August. During the event, the news portal’s special correspondents will travel to the areas with the greatest visibility and provide live coverage from Soria.

The social media channels of RTVE Noticias and RNE will follow the phenomenon’s progress and provide minute-by-minute updates on the development of the eclipse. The coverage will also include aerial tracking via Iberia’s special flight.

The RTVE Noticias special already brings together more than a hundred pieces of content, including news articles, reports, videos, audio, maps and interactive features. This content will continue to be updated until the day of the eclipse to provide information about the phenomenon and its different aspects.

The initiative forms part of the special and accessible programming that Corporación RTVE is rolling out across its channels and platforms for this event. The videopodcast thus expands the news coverage with a format focused on the scientific questions, preparations for the event and the anticipation surrounding its observation in Spain.