Spain’s Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, on 12 August 2026 ruled out inviting representatives of the party Vox to observe the solar eclipse at the Observatorio de Yebes (Municipality of Yebes, Province Guadalajara) excluded. In an interview reported by Europa Press with Radio Nacional de España she said that such an invitation was out of the question, explaining that it was “impossible to have a conversation between science and a charlatan”. The comment came on the day the celestial event was observed, with its peak expected in Spain that evening.
The Observatorio de Yebes in Castile-La Mancha had been named by the state in advance as a key location for scientific coverage and live observation on 12 August. The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities had already announced in a statement in mid-May that it would use the site as an official hub for information and broadcasts, working with scientific institutions and media outlets to do so. The aim of bringing these efforts together was to provide expert context on the event and strengthen public communication.
In the interview, Morant framed her rejection of Vox’s invitation as an appeal for scientific understanding and the method of empirical verification. In her account, such natural events offered an opportunity to impart knowledge and counter pseudoscientific claims with a verifiable, evidence-based explanation. The minister also rejected speculation that the head of government would attend: according to Europa Press, Morant said that Pedro Sánchez would not travel to Yebes; such an appearance had not been envisaged by the protocol.
The decision to use Yebes followed months of preparations to coordinate state and scientific bodies for the observation day. Alongside safety and organisational considerations, the focus was on providing reliable data and accompanying explanatory material. The facility in Guadalajara is one of Spain’s major astronomical sites and has infrastructure for precise measurements and public broadcasts.
Context: Morant’s statement draws a clear distinction between institutional science communication and a party-political platform. It reinforces the principle that accounts of astronomical events should be grounded in verifiable findings. At the same time, the choice of the Observatorio de Yebes highlights the effort to explain complex celestial phenomena centrally and clearly, regardless of political controversies.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).