A retired shepherd in San Agustin del Pozo, Spain, is preparing to watch the total solar eclipse from his DIY observatory. Joaquin Tapioles, 67, will be watching the eclipse with his family on August 12 from the rotating dome he built himself.
A Passion for Astronomy
Tapioles’ fascination with the night sky began as a child while helping his father tend sheep before dawn. He saw a meteor shower and was fascinated by what he was seeing. His father told him that the meteors were stars falling from the sky.
Tapioles is a self-taught astronomer who goes by the nickname the ‘Galactic Shepherd’. He operates the telescope he designed and assembled himself using a video game controller to track the sky. He has also contributed to the Deep Impact mission to Comet Tempel 1, launched in 2005, and has been recognized by NASA.
Spain is set to experience another total solar eclipse on August 2 next year, and an annular eclipse in January 2028, completing the so-called ‘Iberian Eclipse Trio’.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
