A tiny village in the province of Burgos, brought back from the brink of extinction, is about to have its moment in the "shadow" — NASA has picked Villalibado as one of its ringside seats for the total solar eclipse on 12 August.
The village, abandoned for decades before a handful of dedicated locals rebuilt it by hand, will now host one of the US space agency's broadcast teams as the Moon takes centre stage.
The feed will beam out worldwide via NASA's digital platforms and San Francisco's Exploratorium, giving Villalibado more screen time than most villages get in several centuries.
The choice is down to several factors, among them its location within the path of totality, an unobstructed horizon and good communications infrastructure.
The observation point will be set up next to the church of San Salvador, in the upper part of the village, where almost thirty NASA and Exploratorium scientists and technicians will prepare the international broadcast.
