Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:34
Altea
38.599°, -0.052° · 1 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 0.65° above the Sun at peak.
Partial eclipse · 99.6% obscuration
ALTEA · 38.599° N -0.052° W
Photo: Conrad Möller, Vielser Strasse 34, 33154 Salzkotten · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
In Altea, the Moon covered 99.6% of the Sun.
At 20:34 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Altea, 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 61/ 100
Marginal visibility — depends on fine horizon
See the eclipse from Altea minute by minute
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About Altea
Altea is a coastal municipality in the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community, with just under 24,000 inhabitants. Located practically at sea level, on the shores of the Mediterranean and between Benidorm and Calpe, the town is characterized by its whitewashed historic quarter, perched on a hillside overlooking the sea. Its position on the Costa Blanca makes it a natural observation point towards the marine horizon to the west.
For this eclipse
On 12 August 2026, Altea will experience a partial solar eclipse that reaches its maximum at 20:33 local time. At that moment, the Sun will be just 3.9° above the horizon, heading towards west-northwest (azimuth 286°). Calculations indicate that the local horizon exceeds the Sun's position by 1.3°, so the star will be hidden by the terrain or the sea line at the moment of maximum.
The weather in August
The month of August in the Alicante coastal strip follows the clearest Mediterranean pattern: dry heat, scarce precipitation and a notably low storm probability, according to data from the AEMET station in the area (1991–2020 series). The risk of stormy skies on the dates of the eclipse is reduced, which generally favours astronomical observations, although the Sun's position at the edge of the horizon reduces the margin of success for the eclipse itself.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Altea dates back to 12 May 1706, more than three centuries ago, when totality lasted close to three minutes. More recent is the annular eclipse of 3 October 2005, 21 years ago, with 90% obscuration of the solar disk. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028, one must wait until 13 July 2075 for the next annular eclipse over this coast.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of greatest coverage, the Sun will be in the west-northwest direction—approximate azimuth of 286°, that is, almost west but slightly offset towards the north. With a height of barely 3.9° above the theoretical horizon, the solar disk will be practically at the sea line at sunset. For any attempt at observation, it is best to position oneself at a clear spot with a free view of the marine horizon in that direction.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Altea
In Altea, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:34 local time, with 99.6% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Altea, 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 Altea
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:39:53 | 17:39:53 UTC | +14.1° | 277.9° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:31 | 18:31 UTC | +4.4° | 285.6° | |
| Maximumnot visible | 20:34:14 | 18:34:14 UTC | +3.9° | 286.0° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:25:16 | 19:25:16 UTC | -5.1° | 294.1° |
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
- 38.5988° N
- Longitude
- 0.0515° W
- Elevation
- 1 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:39:53
- Maximum
- 20:34:14
- Eclipse ends
- 21:25:16
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 20:58:21
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 23s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 99.7%
- Sun altitude
- +3.9°
- Sun azimuth
- 286.0°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (286.0°)
286.0° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
3.86°
Sun altitude at maximum
4.50°
Terrain horizon
-0.65°
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 Altea
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| AitanaIn the Sun's direction | 1559.4 m | 19.5 km | 287° WNW |
| Aitana OrientalIn the Sun's direction | 1549 m | 19.0 km | 288° WNW |
| Penya AltaIn the Sun's direction | 1504 m | 17.9 km | 289° WNW |
| Moleta d’AitanaIn the Sun's direction | 1466 m | 22.6 km | 286° WNW |
| Alt de TagarinaIn the Sun's direction | 1434 m | 17.3 km | 289° WNW |
| el Puigcampana | 1408 m | 12.3 km | 269° W |
| Pla de la CasaIn the Sun's direction | 1385 m | 23.4 km | 304° NW |
| la Mallada del LlopIn the Sun's direction | 1361 m | 21.1 km | 308° NW |
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The August sky
6%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 1%Median cloud cover · 6%P75 — cloudier days · 45%
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 Altea
- 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 Altea
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Altea?
Geometrically yes (99.6% obscuration), but the local terrain blocked the Sun before the eclipse ended from Altea.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Altea?
Maximum occurred at 20:34 local time (18:34 UTC) in Altea.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Altea?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 286°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from Altea.
Was Altea a good place to watch the eclipse?
Altea 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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