Ep#21 - Eclipse España - Nacho Pérez and Tania Uhlig - Part 2

In this episode, we are speaking with Nacho Perez, The Director of Galáctica (the Center for the Observation and Dissemination of Astronomy in Teruel, Spain).  He is an astronomer and science communicator, coming into Astronomy through Art.  Galaticia is nominated as the European Museum of the year, and hosts many public outreach astronomy events which I was fortunate to attend last year.  

He shares what the Galáctica center is doing for the August 12 2026, Total Solar Eclipse, how he got into his role as the Director and other items about Spain and this year's Total Solar Eclipse. 

Links: https://galactica.org.es/en/eclipse-experience/

Instagram: @nachopereztorrejon 

Leticia Ferrer's site: 

https://texassolareclipses.com/

Host Chris Chotas Alexander's Site
https://www.chotachrome.com/
IG: @chotachrome

Totality Talks is created by Leticia Ferrer and Chris Chotas Alexander.  

Totality Talks is produced by Chris Chotas Alexander.  

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Welcome back to Totality Talks. In this episode, we have part two of our focus on Spain. Nacho Perez from the Galactica Astronomical Center in Terrell, Spain. We bring back Tanya Ulig from the last episode to help translate. So if you speak Spanish, this will be enjoyable to hear. And if not, it will provide an opportunity for you to up your Spanish game. So we hope you enjoy our chat.

SPEAKER_06 1:01

And we're recording. Hello everyone. Welcome to Totality Talks. We're talking today with Nacho Perez, who is the director over the Galactica Education Center, Study Center. Tell us more about Galactica, what exactly it is.

SPEAKER_04 1:44

So Natchez says thanks for having him. And he's gonna explain us a little bit where Galactica is. So he says in Spain.

SPEAKER_02 1:54

In Spain we we got regions, okay? Where region is Aragon. Inside Aragon is a little region, is Teruel. And inside Teruel, a little town is Arcos de las Salinas. Here is our observatory. In a little little town with uh eighty six thousand uh habitants habitantes.

SPEAKER_06 2:32

I just want to say something that is a beautiful little town with such nice friendly people.

SPEAKER_02 2:39

Thanks.

SPEAKER_06 2:39

And I have dreams of retiring there now.

SPEAKER_02 2:45

Thanks.

SPEAKER_06 2:46

What is um your your my understanding is that you're also associated with the Aragon Center for Physics and the Cosmos. And that group is managing the whole distribution for everything and all the events in the Aragon District.

SPEAKER_02 3:19

Creo que me has preguntado cómo estamos repartiendo el trabajo en la zona de Aragón para el eclipse.

SPEAKER_04 3:25

Sí, que vosotros principalmente tenéis también la responsabilidad o el privilegio también de organizarlo, ¿no? En vuestra zona.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

Contesto a tu pregunta, Leticia, y sí, nosotros, Astro Andalus, nuestra empresa gestora de Galáctica, hemos sido los que concursamos y ganamos la posibilidad de ayudar al gobierno de Aragón como para planificar gestión de todo el eclipse in todo el territorio Aragones. Algo muy bonito.

SPEAKER_04 4:10

So I'll just uh uh sum up a little bit. So Nacho says that his company, Astro Andalus, they want a tender with the Spanish government, and in that tender they want being the ones responsible for organizing the eclipse in the region of Aragon. So Andalus, they've been in charge of assisting and contacting the Aragon and government to show them how to really organize an eclipse both in a secure and also in an efficient way for everybody.

SPEAKER_02 5:24

In much cities I distinct events, desde pequeños pueblos hasta grandes ciudades van a albergar eventos de todos los tamaños para disfrutar el eclipse.

SPEAKER_04 5:37

So in different villages, both small and then also bigger cities, they will all have events there will be all events all around the eclipse, both in small villages to bigger cities.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

No. That was so big for us. We need to focus our energy. And we need to focus on that. And the organization and the and thinking about that years uh previously and we are realistic and we only wanna uh uh work in this day uh in our center in the Arctic. Okay. In the airport, no in this time.

SPEAKER_06 7:01

Okay. How is not this time? Yeah, no. How many uh visitors are you expecting at Galactica?

SPEAKER_02 7:11

Yeah, this is uh a complicated uh answer uh because uh it we want uh a lot of people, thousands of people, but we got a problem uh with the hotels.

SPEAKER_04 7:48

Yeah. Well, uh as you remember, it's quite small, right? So they're having the challenge with beds and where people can stay over. So then in uh they want to also be reasonable because you have to also handle the logistics in a fair way for everybody. So they're expecting to make an event about 4,500 people because that's how many beds they have like in the area. I'm sorry, for how many people. 1,500. Around 1500. Okay. It seems to be private at the end, a private event for 1500 people. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 8:34

Alright. So you've got that, and then um and you've been assisting with the planning for the glasses, getting the glasses distributed. Are your schools open at that time or is it still the summer holiday for the children?

SPEAKER_02 9:05

It's a good question. Because we are castellano, uh enfocando como es agosto y están cerrados los centros educativos, el trabajo previo de divulgación lo hacemos con los ayuntamientos.

SPEAKER_04 9:27

So as the schools will be shut in August, and then the most work that they're doing to get out the message and all the information is through the different town halls and the different villages and cities.

SPEAKER_06 9:43

And for those of us that are coming in, who should we reach out to to find out if there's a local event in the town? Go to the town's council, the is there a chamber of commerce?

SPEAKER_04 10:11

Leticia pregunta si hay una caja de comercio o algún lugar donde puedan ver las personas, donde pueden tener la información.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Sí, por ejemplo, el gobierno de Aragón tiene una página para explicaros distintos puntos donde se puede ver el eclipse, y sé que distintas comunidades autónomas o regiones o big regions hacen lo mismo. En España se ha creado una página web en la cual se puede asesorar de cómo ver el eclipse y dónde se puede ver más o menos, porque hay un The Show de Shadow Maps o un website o un Shadow Maps, y tú puedes verlo. Sí, hay una herramienta. Creo que no es la herramienta más sofisticada.

SPEAKER_04 11:08

So the government of Aragón has a website, and on that website there's like a list of uh places which are um there's a list of places so people can see where they can view the eclipse. And then he says the different regions in Spain that will be on the eclipse line, every region should have like their own little website, but he also mentions that it's probably not the most sophisticated one.

SPEAKER_06 11:35

Okay. Yes, I did just see a post on the shadow maps. I heard him say shadow maps, and and yeah, he did. The shadow maps are um, I'm actually just gonna reach out to them about that. They incorrect interesting post. Huh?

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Are they incorrect?

SPEAKER_06 11:50

No, they're fine. No, they're no, he's just saying that that on the Aragon website where the events where they're posting is that the the regions, they're not the most sophisticated on their maps. It's not like you're finding on the internet where they have the um Bayesian Elements, I believe, has done a shadow map of of the clouds where you're gonna be able to see the eclipse and then where might you have a cloud shadow. It's not just the mountain shadows, but it's the cloud shadows.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Yeah, you need the uh Google link for Xavier. With with the Google link that has to the second, no, to the or you know, tenth of a second, I believe it is.

SPEAKER_06 12:34

Yeah, of where your site is.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

But uh I I think uh uh the the secure uh way to see the eclipse is is so important. The place to see uh the eclipse is so important, uh important. But uh a lot of things are so important to see an eclipse because you uh don't no solo tienes que ver eclipse. You need to feel it and you need to to understand you are seeing in this moment the dance of the moon, the sun, the earth. You need to feel it. It's the eclipse of our lives. The unique eclipse in our home that we're gonna see in our and and they uh we understand the people, the the the citizens need to feel it. Yes, it's so important. It is so important it's a responsibility for us.

SPEAKER_06 13:40

Yes, it it's it's for me, it's still a spiritual experience as many as I've seen.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

Given that, will you be uh steering away from research opportunities so that you can feel it instead of being bobbed down in the research and data? How how will you balance the research and data versus enjoyment and experiencing the eclipse?

SPEAKER_02 14:35

I'm feeling that in this moment. We are going we are working about that a few months ago. Okay, in Galactica, we're gonna uh make a festival party uh about the eclipse with electronic music, maybe uh slow electronic music, and uh uh a very important person in the uh uh communication uh scientific, okay from Spain and for the another places of the world. I can't talk so much about it because in a few days they govern on Aragon if maybe tomorrow. Okay pan hablar.

SPEAKER_04 15:31

So he doesn't confidentiality code, but he hopes that tomorrow that the Aragon government will give him to be okay to come out with all the information and all the amazing things they're planning. Good. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

But uh license, okay.

SPEAKER_04 16:00

So as he heard that this program is coming out in a few more days, then he's gonna give himself a little okay to give us some more information. We're not posting it tomorrow.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:19

So he can he can spill the myth.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

Well, okay, okay, uh too very important. Uh space agency is gonna be gonna come to Galactica to talk about the sun, the the activity of the sun, and the projects of ESA uh for to study the sun. Juan, a famous uh presentador de television, meteorological, a divulgador scientific, an amigo uh divulgador scientific, and ciencia, arte y observación solar. Ciencia tiene que ir de la mano para nosotros, Astro Andalus, la divulgación científica tiene que ir de la mano de las emociones y del arte. It's the forma correcta de hacer llegar la ciencia, creemos, a la ciudadanía.

SPEAKER_04 17:28

So there's coming an important um meteorologist um that will be there giving a lecture, and then there's also coming a scientist friend of Nacho that will be there as well giving a lecture, and they will combine it with art. And because for them as an as a um as a company as astroandelus, for them the science goes through art as well.

SPEAKER_06 17:56

Yes, and actually talk your st to me, Nacho's story is amazing on how he went from a career, I believe it was a chemical engineer, to going into science art and then ending up as the director of Galactica.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

Bueno, lo haré rapido, okay. I wanna try it. I was studying when when I was younger to to to be a director of films, okay I love the the cinema. I was studied a lot, but uh after I uh uh I worked um uh durante uh Daniel si quieres.

SPEAKER_04 19:04

He was working through uh he was working 18 years in the chemistry field in in pandemic, in the pandemic of the coronavirus, okay, got it.

SPEAKER_02 19:20

Yeah, I uh decided to camp the video and my passion that I was like the art and the astronomy. I have the sort of motor of my life and I dedicated to dirige or co-dirigate, coordinate a center like Galactica.

SPEAKER_04 19:53

So after the pandemic, Natchez changed his life set 360 degrees, and he says he is so lucky that now today he can combine his passion, which is art and astronomy, with his daily work. And uh well, we've seen his amazing artwork as well, right, Leticia? Yes. And he'll be travel he's traveling now to Pamplona and then to Saragossa and to Malaga as well, where he's uh where he can really in all the lectures and the the uh the his work he does, he can combine art and and Shanam.

SPEAKER_06 20:31

Yes. Um we'll put in the in the podcast notes a link to uh some of Nacho's art so they can see it online. He does some very, very beautiful astronomical art pieces that are just amazing. And he hosts several times a year, and as part of his job at Galactica, several things where he invites the children to look through the telescope and see what's out there and then come back and draw what they've saw and felt, which I think is just a great way that astronomy for many of us hits us in the soul. And this is a way to reinforce this with children, to me, is the fact that when you see that wonderful sky, um I have I went to the center last year, and I realized I had not seen the Milky Way in over a decade, and that was a loss in my life. So my goal is now to see, I'm gonna try to get out there again in those nice dark skies while I'm out there this year and see another Milky Way.

SPEAKER_04 22:00

Los niños y en las personas pues de Abier. Y quizás le puedes mencionar un poco lo del cielo y por qué es tan especial la zona de Javelambre.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

Sí, bueno, sí, pues qué interesante. How eh born the planets.

SPEAKER_04 22:24

How did the planets get born?

SPEAKER_02 22:29

How could burn the stars? All elements of nebula from nebula nebula planet star is the same. Yeah. It's the same. More pressure, low pressure, high pressure, the same. Elements. And we are elements. We are elements, uh the rats, the tires. Okay? We are not special or specials. But we are making with a little bit tiny pieces of stars with elements. Yes. And see our origin is amazing. And if you you got uh uh knowledge about uh science, about astronomy, it's more important. It's more heavy the the sense the sensation, no the sensation. Because you first do to know and after you can feel better. When you know about that, you can feel it better. Yeah. And the Milky Way is our uh home. It is, it's special because it's our home. Our star is so little, you know, it's little, it's bornet, uh yeah. But it's our star. And uh our star is warmer, okay. But uh always uh uh uh we feel the the this m the sea, the Milky Way is important because uh we uh that's where we come from, everybody from the amazing Milky Way.

SPEAKER_07 24:34

So that when you see it, you feel this special connection. I do. I feel it. Yeah and frequencies.

SPEAKER_02 24:52

Yes. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 24:55

I know. And for me, that total solar eclipse every time just brings it h just brings that home to me in my soul. Every time I see a solar eclipse, I I hear all this stardust and that we're all the science and everything else. But when I see it in front of me, when that moon covers the sun, I actually feel it in my heart and my soul, which is why I'm coming to Spain to see my next one on August 12th in the evening. And I'm going to be uh Nacho, I think before I met up with you. Oh, he had just come from Terrell at the airport, and that's where we saw the sunset. And I was like, this is a great spot. So now we're we're actually going to be in Daroka and the road, what's the road again, Tanya? Between Zaragoza and Terrell?

SPEAKER_04 25:55

Um, the road, uh, do you mean the national one between Calamucha? Yes. Yeah. It's Daruca, Calamucha, and then Teruel. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 26:04

So we're gonna be on that road, but somewhere along that road. Tani's got a couple spaces picked up, great places picked out for us, but of course we're gonna be have mobility because of the weather.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

Can you help me, Tania, please? A little.

SPEAKER_04 26:20

Yeah, uh, tenemos como three cities, no? Helicopters, the nubes.

SPEAKER_02 26:49

And one important thing is this eclipse is premio, Tania? Premio. It's prized. Pride for the little towns.

SPEAKER_06 27:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

For the rural home, for the for the rural light.

SPEAKER_06 27:06

Yes, okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:07

It's uh bright big because they'll be able to get it.

SPEAKER_04 27:16

Yeah, because the little villages, especially in this area where we're going to be, it's so rural and so apart, and th they are the caretakers of the dark skies of Spain. Yes, those little rural villages they are. Yeah. Those little villages make it possible that we can have this privilege in this amazing dark sky.

SPEAKER_02 27:45

That's prize for they that's beautiful.

SPEAKER_04 27:50

Yeah, yeah, and this is their prize, it's their gift, that is their blessing.

SPEAKER_06 27:54

That is beautiful. That is beautiful that all the little towns that we're gonna be because this eclipse misses both Madrid and Barcelona, and all the little towns that it covers over, that is beautiful. That they are the stewards of the dark skies in Spain.

SPEAKER_07 28:18

We lost Chris.

SPEAKER_06 28:19

We lost Chris there for a second, but there hasn't been a total eclipse since 1912, and you guys are getting three now. You're getting this one, the annular, and a few more years, and then we're gonna you're gonna get part of the tw big one, the 2027. Cadets is going to get the the total of 2027 also. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:52

But the total one will be this one.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 28:54

Well, the total one coming through. Yeah, well, Cadets is a total one, also, isn't it? I think it's a total.

SPEAKER_02 29:01

Yeah, but uh a little part of Spain. Just a little part of Spain. It's still Spain. All the country in this place.

SPEAKER_06 29:09

Yeah. This is the big one for the country. This is the big one for the country. So I'm just very excited to be in Aragon. I will be in, I mean, I'm gonna be there in Aragon for this eclipse. And I'm recommending it to people if they're if they have the ability to have a little bit of mobility. And I'm hoping your events go fantastic, Nacho. There at Galactica. You do such beautiful work with outreach.

SPEAKER_02 29:40

I s I listen you uh so many. Can you repeat please?

SPEAKER_06 29:48

Yes. I was saying that you do such beautiful work at Galactica on outreach. Youngsters, other people just interested in astronomy, and I thank you for that. My experience there was amazing.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

Thank you so much. We only uh are uh enjoying of the universe, yes, enjoying of the onledge, el desconocimiento, okay y eso es maravilloso, uh that's amazing poder disfrutar de estudiar y de trabajar in un centro como Galáctica es una suerte y un orgullo. It's beautiful.

SPEAKER_06 30:47

I'll ask Tanya to translate it later. We're having some.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

Yeah, I was curious. Um there has not been a total solar eclipse in Spain since 1912, and not across Europe since 1999. And so is there excitement amongst the people, or is there uh a lot of people that still don't know what's happening?

SPEAKER_02 31:33

Very important question. Very important question. The science world is excited. But uh sorry for telling that, uh but the people don't matter the universe. To to tell the hey, the clips is here, they are with Instagram, with with social media, Instagram, Facebook, and the life of the people is dumped across to see the universe. Okay, no, no la vida de la gente está lejos del universo y lejos de mirar hacia arriba por desgracia. Daniel, si quieres.

SPEAKER_07 32:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 32:42

Sadly, as it happens with many people, right, uh are far away of lifting their heads and appreciating and looking up to the universe. So there's a lot of work still to be done and saying, hey, get off your Facebook and Instagram and look up to the sky. So that'll be that's an important job to do for the next month.

SPEAKER_02 33:08

But apart from this, much centers, all the pueblos están volcando, están haciendo por acercar el conocimiento a su población. Aun así, la verdad, creo que mucha gente de noche con el eclipse mientras conduce sin saberlo.

SPEAKER_07 33:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:38

And on that of uh of the vintages and the townhouse, they're very busy, right? Spreading the news about the eclipse, but not just still worried that a few people more than a few people, they would just be still on August 12 driving their cars and it just could dark on them without knowing that they're not.

SPEAKER_06 33:55

That did happen in 1999 all across Europe, also. So people I mean, by some means there's no end to move just into the I'm sure you'll you'll do your part and everyone's gonna do their part to get the word out, having people not be driving during the eclipse, pull over.

SPEAKER_01 34:14

Be afraid. Don't be afraid and stay inside because you're scared. And there are cultural differences. Some cultures are afraid of eclipses. Yeah. But I have to jump off the call, but I have one suggestion for Nacho and Tanya. If you have electronic music, let's say, let's see, let's see, at the eclipse, 10 minutes before. 10 minutes before, cut the music. Cut the music. Like no 10 minutes before. So you can hear the birds and the you know the environment change. We've seen eclipses where people have the music going during totality. And it's uh taking away from other people's experience.

SPEAKER_07 34:57

It makes sure and make sure it's an automatic sentence.

SPEAKER_04 35:09

One hour, all right, goodness, one hour.

SPEAKER_02 35:13

A little uh speech uh about that, and the silence.

SPEAKER_06 35:18

Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 35:19

The silence because the the name, the wind, the light, the time, the silence. We are in the nature. We we need to feel the nature, yeah, and this is the nature. It's cold, is light, or is uh or is dark, or is dark, but uh is silence is uh is windy and we wanna feel it and maybe we're gonna feel it uh I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 35:57

I just wanna ask you one question. What do you hope that this eclipse will bring to your center galactica?

SPEAKER_02 36:10

Yo creo que para Galáctica y los visitantes de Galáctica, porque Galáctica es un museo y un observatorio, pero Galáctica también lo hace sus visitantes. Va a ser muy importante. Porque al final vamos a acercar la ciencia, este eclipse va a acercar a ciencia, y las preguntas ones que viene a Galáctica, y eso va a ser muy importante.

SPEAKER_04 36:39

So Nacho says uh Galactica is not only a museum, but also an observatory. And really the main characters and everything functions is the the visitors. So this eclipse we're sure will attract much more visitors to Ganactica and that they can relive amazing experience at the Museum and Observatory.

SPEAKER_06 37:04

Wonderful. I hope so. I hope that does happen too. And then what about for the area of Aragon in Spain?

SPEAKER_02 37:19

We are working about that in this moment. How I told you before in a few minutes they need to fill the eclipse. And this is our work. Remember this date, how a big experience. Remember this this day the connection with the universe. We because we were the universe, we are the universe, and we will be. Not seremos el universo otra vez. Somos el universo. Y ver este baile, this dance in the moon, the sun, the earth.

SPEAKER_04 38:31

Yeah. So Natchez says well, his personal wish is for really the total of Spain, right? Because it's also Aragon, Teruel, Soria, all the different areas, then we'll be privileged to see and nib this eclipse to really show us that we were universe, we are universe, and we will be universe. And that this day will be so special and will connect us all in this uh these minutes and seconds with the universe. It's awesome. That's beautiful.

SPEAKER_06 39:05

Well, thank you very much, Nacho Perez, for joining us today. Thank you, Tanya, for for helping me with the uh translations. I really appreciate your time. And we hope to have this out in a couple of weeks, and we'll be sharing the link with you. And if you can listen to some of our other totality talks that we've done on the on the eclipse. Okay?

SPEAKER_04 39:27

Yeah. Kenny Leticia dice, much and for connecting. And a lot of people have visitors to escuch that eclipses solar.

SPEAKER_02 39:56

Muchas gracias a vosotras, a Leticia, a Cris, a Tania por esta invitación. Leticia, un honor para mí estar contigo, como te dije cuando nos conocimos, and compartir nuestra pequeña opinión desde un pequeño punto de España que es nuestro sitio, con un buen cielo, pero somos pequeñitos. Y gracias por invitarme. Creo que la jornada que vivimos juntos hace un año nos unió de alguna manera. Exactly. Bajo el silaco y bajo eso fue muy bonito. Y que sepas que ya hemos escuchado mis compañeros and you all of your podcasts of talks. Nos han encantado.

SPEAKER_04 40:49

Okay. So he says thank you so much also to Chris and also especially to you. He says that when we visited and you visited Galactica, that something beautiful, right, happened there connecting us and also together with his colleagues, they have been listening to a few podcasts of Totality Talks. Yeah. So they say, although it's from a very small area's plane, but if you everyone, if you're ever back again, please come to the beautiful place with the darkest skies.

SPEAKER_06 41:29

And again, I have dreams of retiring there too for the dark skies. It's a beautiful, beautiful guy.

SPEAKER_04 41:36

Yeah, so en la zona. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 41:44

Ojalá.

SPEAKER_04 41:52

Yeah. He says please, they were coming a few days earlier to the kids, please call, and he says he hopes to see it. Wonderful. Great.

SPEAKER_01 42:11

Well, that's it for this episode of Totality Talks. Hope you enjoyed our chat with Nacho and Tanya. It sounds like a nice, leisurely time in the Spanish countryside coming up. In the next episode, we chat with Graham Jones and Anna Buckle, the live streamers from one of our favorite websites, time and day. Until then, happy eclipse prep, and as always, clear skies.