Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:37
Alcalá la Real
37.461°, -3.923° · 918 m a.s.l.
96% of the Sun covered at maximum
Marginal · score 43/100 Sun at +6° · 284° WNW
Marginal: only 0.88° between the Sun and the local skyline at peak.
Partial eclipse · 96% obscuration
ALCALÁ LA REAL · 37.461° N -3.923° W
Photo: Michelangelo-36 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
In Alcalá la Real, the Moon covered 96% of the Sun.
At 20:37 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Alcalá la Real, covering up to 96% of its disc. It didn't become a total or annular eclipse: the Sun kept shining throughout.
The other two eclipses from here
Eclipse 2 Aug 2027
Score 50/ 100
Eclipse visible
The Sun will be 37-41° high, so terrain rules out no city at all: of the 560 assessed, 522 tie on the same score. What decides is being inside the path.
Eclipse 26 Jan 2028
Score 50/ 100
Blocked by terrain
See the eclipse from Alcalá la Real minute by minute
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About Alcalá la Real
Alcalá la Real is a municipality located in the southeast of Jaén province, in Andalusia, at 918 meters above sea level. With approximately 22,800 inhabitants, it sits on the foothills of the Sierra Sur de Jaén, in a transitional zone between the Jaén plain and the Baetic mountain ranges. The landscape is dominated by the Mota Fortress, a medieval fortification that crowns the hill overlooking the town and stands as the city's most recognizable symbol.
For this eclipse
The eclipse of August 12, 2026, will reach Alcalá la Real as a partial eclipse with the Sun just 5.9° above the western horizon, when local time reads 20:36. The solar azimuth of 284° points toward the west-northwest, so any obstruction in that direction—buildings, hills, or trees—could hide the Sun precisely at maximum eclipse. The clearance above the topographic horizon is merely 1.1°, meaning observation requires a location with an unobstructed view toward the west.
The weather in August
August in Alcalá la Real is characterized by the dryness typical of inland Andalusia at mid-elevation. The risk of thunderstorms is low according to AEMET records for the 1991-2020 period, reducing the likelihood that vertically developing clouds will interfere with observation during the afternoon hours. The location in the Sierra Sur de Jaén favors clearer skies than coastal areas during summer afternoons.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Alcalá la Real occurred on May 12, 1706, more than three centuries ago; its totality lasted just under three minutes. Since then, neither a total nor an annular eclipse has covered this corner of the Jaén Sierra Sur. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027, and 2028, one must wait until July 13, 2075, to witness an annular eclipse, and until June 20, 2327, for the shadow of totality to cross these hills again.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At maximum eclipse, the Sun will stand 5.9° above the horizon, a very low height equivalent to just over ten solar diameters above the horizon line. The azimuth of 284° places it to the west-northwest, slightly north of due west. For observers from the Mota Fortress or from the surrounding hills, it is advisable to identify beforehand which terrain profile or urban silhouette might interrupt that low westward view.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Alcalá la Real
In Alcalá la Real, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:37 local time, with 96% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Alcalá la Real, the Sun was 6° above the horizon, toward the WNW. It sat right at the edge of the horizon: even a small nearby obstacle could have blocked it.
This area typically sees around 0% median cloud cover at that hour, based on ten years of historical data — not a forecast for this specific eclipse.
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Eclipse schedule in Alcalá la Real
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:41:54 | 17:41:54 UTC | +16.6° | 276.2° | |
| Maximum | 20:37:04 | 18:37:04 UTC | +5.9° | 284.2° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:43 | 18:43 UTC | +4.7° | 285.1° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:28:41 | 19:28:41 UTC | -3.3° | 292.0° |
Phases marked with ⛰️ were not seen: the Sun was already hidden behind the real terrain at that moment.
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Eclipse phases
Times in CEST local time
Oriented as seen with the naked eye, zenith up (official ephemerides usually draw it with celestial north up, rotated with respect to this).
Phases shown in red aren't observable: they happen while the Sun is below the horizon.
Location
- Latitude
- 37.4614° N
- Longitude
- 3.9230° W
- Elevation
- 918 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:41:54
- Maximum
- 20:37:04
- Eclipse ends
- 21:28:41
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:11:31
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 46m 47s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 96%
- Sun altitude
- +5.9°
- Sun azimuth
- 284.2°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (284.2°)
284.2° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
5.91°
Sun altitude at maximum
5.03°
Terrain horizon
+0.88°
Sun−terrain margin
What the contact points (C1-C4) mean
A solar eclipse is described by four key moments, the contact points between the discs of the Sun and the Moon:
- C1First contact: the Moon touches the edge of the Sun and the partial eclipse begins.
- C2Second contact: the Moon fully covers the Sun and totality begins.
- C3Third contact: the Sun reappears and totality ends.
- C4Fourth contact: the Moon leaves the Sun's disc and the eclipse ends.
Where the eclipse is only partial, the Moon never fully covers the Sun: only C1 and C4 occur, with no totality in between.
Peaks near Alcalá la Real
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Pandera | 1870.03 m | 22.9 km | 35° NE |
| Peña del Altar | 1818 m | 23.3 km | 37° NE |
| Cerrillo Caldera | 1773 m | 22.4 km | 31° NNE |
| Cerro de la Horca | 1766 m | 21.5 km | 42° NE |
| Los Morales | 1722 m | 21.1 km | 48° NE |
| Peñón de Alacún | 1704 m | 22.4 km | 44° NE |
| El Morrón | 1672 m | 20.2 km | 39° NE |
| Matarratas | 1667 m | 22.3 km | 29° NNE |
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The August sky
0%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 0%P75 — cloudier days · 7%
10-year average over 70 samples: the 3 days before and after 12 August, at the same eclipse hour · Source: ERA5 (ECMWF)
Cloud forecast
Full cloud-cover forecast for eclipse day, including the hour-by-hour outlook toward the sun. Available with PRO.
See plansOther eclipses seen from Alcalá la Real
- Last total eclipseMay 12, 1706320 years ago
- Next total eclipseJune 20, 2327
- Next annular eclipseJuly 13, 2075
Solar eclipses computed from astronomical ephemerides for the city's coordinates.
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Frequently asked questions about the eclipse in Alcalá la Real
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Alcalá la Real?
Yes, but marginally: with 96% obscuration, the topographic horizon from Alcalá la Real was very close to the Sun's altitude at the end.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Alcalá la Real?
Maximum occurred at 20:37 local time (18:37 UTC) in Alcalá la Real.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Alcalá la Real?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 284°), 6° above the horizon at maximum from Alcalá la Real.
Was Alcalá la Real a good place to watch the eclipse?
Alcalá la Real could see the eclipse with limitations (score 43/100): terrain, geometry, or climatology added risk. A higher-scored viewpoint would have been preferable.
Do I need special glasses to watch the eclipse?
Yes, you need ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses during every partial phase. Regular sunglasses do NOT protect. Glasses can only be removed during the totality phase (when the Sun is fully covered); never during annular or partial eclipses. Pages flagged "visible" assume a clear horizon, not a viewing recommendation.
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