Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:36
Alcantarilla
37.969°, -1.217° · 76 m a.s.l.
98% of the Sun covered at maximum
Visible · score 49/100 Sun at +4° · 286° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 2.64° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 98% obscuration
ALCANTARILLA · 37.969° N -1.217° W
Photo: Marinasabater · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Alcantarilla, the Moon covered 98% of the Sun.
At 20:36 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Alcantarilla, covering up to 98% 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 58/ 100
Marginal visibility — depends on fine horizon
See the eclipse from Alcantarilla minute by minute
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About Alcantarilla
Alcantarilla is a municipality in the Region of Murcia, situated in the fertile plain of the Segura River, just a few kilometers west of the regional capital. With around 41,000 inhabitants and an elevation of 76 meters above sea level, the city sits in a fertile valley surrounded by traditional irrigated farmland. Its history dates back to around 730 AD, making it one of the region's oldest centers of Andalusí origin.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Alcantarilla will experience a partial solar eclipse with maximum at 20:35, local time. At that moment the Sun will be just 4.3° above the horizon—very close to setting—with an azimuth of 286°, pointing toward the west-northwest. The clearance above the topographic horizon is 3.1°, so it will be enough to have the low western horizon clear in order to follow the phenomenon without obstruction.
The weather in August
August in Alcantarilla is hot and dry: the average temperature reaches 27.7 °C, with typical highs of 34.5 °C and nighttime lows around 21 °C. The month records about 319 hours of sunshine and the probability of clear skies is around 77%, offering good prospects for observation. Average precipitation is just 10.9 mm, though there is a moderate risk of afternoon thunderstorms. Data: AEMET (1991–2020).
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Alcantarilla took place on May 12, 1706, 320 years ago; totality lasted just over three and a half minutes. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028, you will have to wait until July 13, 2075 for an annular eclipse, and until June 20, 2327 for the Moon to once again completely cover the Sun's disk from this municipality.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, the Sun will be at an azimuth of 286°, which corresponds to the west-northwest direction, slightly north of the exact due west point. Its altitude above the horizon will be 4.3°, a very low position that requires a western horizon completely free of buildings or trees. The clearance of 3.1° above the topographic horizon confirms that the Sun will remain visible if there are no obstacles in that area.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Alcantarilla
In Alcantarilla, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:36 local time, with 98% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Alcantarilla, the Sun was 4° above the horizon, toward the WNW. Even so, a clear horizon toward the WNW helped.
This area typically sees around 6% median cloud cover at that hour, based on ten years of historical data — not a forecast for this specific eclipse.
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<iframe src="https://eclipses.app/embed/widget?lat=37.9694&lon=-1.2171&size=standard&theme=dark&locale=en" width="320" height="340" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" title="Eclipse 2026"></iframe>03
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Eclipse schedule in Alcantarilla
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:40:59 | 17:40:59 UTC | +14.7° | 277.5° | |
| Maximum | 20:35:32 | 18:35:32 UTC | +4.3° | 285.6° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:51 | 18:51 UTC | +1.5° | 287.9° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:26:41 | 19:26:41 UTC | -4.8° | 293.5° |
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
- 37.9694° N
- Longitude
- 1.2171° W
- Elevation
- 76 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:40:59
- Maximum
- 20:35:32
- Eclipse ends
- 21:26:41
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:01:50
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 42s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 98%
- Sun altitude
- +4.3°
- Sun azimuth
- 285.6°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (285.6°)
285.6° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
4.31°
Sun altitude at maximum
1.67°
Terrain horizon
+2.64°
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 Alcantarilla
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra de Carrascoy | 1065 m | 14.7 km | 199° SSW |
| Los Filos | 1064 m | 15.9 km | 200° SSW |
| Cabezo del Reloj | 1001 m | 16.2 km | 200° SSW |
| Cabezo del Barranco Blanco | 962 m | 17.3 km | 206° SSW |
| Cabezo de Palazón | 699 m | 23.8 km | 321° NW |
| Peñón del Infierno | 667 m | 11.7 km | 181° S |
| Cabezo del Espino | 665 m | 25.0 km | 312° NW |
| Cabezos Negros | 662 m | 19.1 km | 205° SSW |
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The August sky
Avg. temp.
27.7°C
Max / min
34.5° / 21°
Precipitation
10.9 mm
Storm risk
Medium
Station ALCANTARILLA, BASE AÉREA, 2 km away · Period 1991-2020 · Source: AEMET
6%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 6%P75 — cloudier days · 36%
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 Alcantarilla
- 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 Alcantarilla
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Alcantarilla?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 98% covered at maximum from Alcantarilla.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Alcantarilla?
Maximum occurred at 20:35 local time (18:35 UTC) in Alcantarilla.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Alcantarilla?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 286°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from Alcantarilla.
Was Alcantarilla a good place to watch the eclipse?
Alcantarilla could see the eclipse with limitations (score 49/100): 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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