Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:34
Alcoy
38.705°, -0.474° · 554 m a.s.l.
99.6% of the Sun covered at maximum
Hidden by terrain · score 40/100 Sun at +4° · 286° WNW
Local terrain rises 9.27° above the Sun at peak.
Partial eclipse · 99.6% obscuration
ALCOY · 38.705° N -0.474° W
Photo: Espencat · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
In Alcoy, the Moon covered 99.6% of the Sun.
At 20:34 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Alcoy, covering up to 99.6% 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 Alcoy minute by minute
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About Alcoy
Alcoy is a municipality in the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community, located in the mountainous interior at 554 metres above sea level. With just over 61,500 inhabitants, the city occupies a spot nestled between the sierras of Carrascal, Mariola and Menejador, where the rivers Molinar, Barxell and Riquer converge. Its altitude and the rugged topography of the surrounding area clearly distinguish it from the coastal municipalities of the same province.
For this eclipse
On 12 August 2026 Alcoy will experience a partial solar eclipse that will reach its maximum at 20:33. However, the topographic horizon in that direction rises several degrees above the Sun's actual altitude, meaning the star will be hidden behind the surrounding relief before the eclipse reaches its peak intensity. To observe the phenomenon, it is advisable to move to a location with a clear horizon towards the west-northwest.
The weather in August
According to AEMET data (period 1991–2020) for August in Alcoy, the risk of thunderstorms is low. The reference weather station does not have complete records of temperature or precipitation for this period, so it is not possible to provide average values. In general, the interior of Alicante province at this altitude tends to have cooler afternoons than the coast, with relatively stable skies during the summer month.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Alcoy occurred on 12 May 1706, 320 years ago, with totality lasting just over three and a half minutes. More recently, on 3 October 2005 the city was able to observe an annular eclipse with an obscuration of 90.4% and an annular phase of nearly four minutes. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028, the next annular eclipse will not occur until 13 July 2075.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum, the Sun will be just 4.2 degrees above the geometric horizon, with an azimuth of 286 degrees, which corresponds to a west-northwest direction. This very low position is precisely why the surrounding mountainous relief blocks the view of the eclipse from the urban core; any terrain elevation between the observer and that direction will be enough to hide the Sun.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Alcoy
In Alcoy, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:34 local time, with 99.6% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Alcoy, the Sun was 4° above the horizon, toward the WNW. But local terrain blocked the Sun before the eclipse ended: a nearby viewpoint with a clear horizon would have worked better.
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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Eclipse schedule in Alcoy
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:39:43 | 17:39:43 UTC | +14.5° | 277.6° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 19:46 | 17:46 UTC | +13.2° | 278.6° | |
| Maximumnot visible | 20:34:12 | 18:34:12 UTC | +4.2° | 285.8° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:25:20 | 19:25:20 UTC | -4.8° | 293.8° |
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
- 38.7054° N
- Longitude
- 0.4743° W
- Elevation
- 554 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:39:43
- Maximum
- 20:34:12
- Eclipse ends
- 21:25:20
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:00:04
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 37s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 99.7%
- Sun altitude
- +4.2°
- Sun azimuth
- 285.8°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (285.8°)
285.8° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
4.20°
Sun altitude at maximum
13.47°
Terrain horizon
-9.27°
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 Alcoy
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aitana | 1559.4 m | 19.1 km | 109° ESE |
| Aitana Oriental | 1549 m | 19.6 km | 108° ESE |
| Penya Alta | 1504 m | 20.7 km | 107° ESE |
| Moleta d’Aitana | 1466 m | 16.0 km | 110° ESE |
| Alt de Tagarina | 1434 m | 21.2 km | 107° ESE |
| Montcabrer | 1390 m | 5.9 km | 349° NNW |
| Pla de la Casa | 1385 m | 17.4 km | 86° E |
| la Mallada del Llop | 1361 m | 20.1 km | 87° E |
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The August sky
6%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 6%P75 — cloudier days · 37%
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 Alcoy
- Last total eclipseMay 12, 1706320 years ago
- Last annular eclipseOctober 3, 200521 years ago
- 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 Alcoy
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Alcoy?
Geometrically yes (99.6% obscuration), but the local terrain blocked the Sun before the eclipse ended from Alcoy.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Alcoy?
Maximum occurred at 20:34 local time (18:34 UTC) in Alcoy.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Alcoy?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 286°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from Alcoy.
Was Alcoy a good place to watch the eclipse?
Alcoy was not the best choice: local terrain blocked the Sun before the eclipse ended. A nearby viewpoint with a clear horizon would have offered a better view.
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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