Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:39
Arcos de la Frontera
36.751°, -5.811° · 144 m a.s.l.
94% of the Sun covered at maximum
Visible · score 50/100 Sun at +7° · 283° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 3.88° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 94% obscuration
ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA · 36.751° N -5.811° W
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Arcos de la Frontera, the Moon covered 94% of the Sun.
At 20:39 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Arcos de la Frontera, covering up to 94% 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 87/ 100
Full totality 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 80/ 100
Full ring visible
See the eclipse from Arcos de la Frontera minute by minute
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About Arcos de la Frontera
Arcos de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, with just over 31,000 inhabitants. It sits at 144 metres above sea level in the interior of the province, at the southwestern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Its elevated position relative to the surrounding plains gives it a broad perspective over the Cádiz countryside landscape. Arcos belongs to the group of medium-sized cities in inland Andalusia, far from both the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.
For this eclipse
On 12 August 2026, Arcos de la Frontera will experience a partial solar eclipse. Maximum will occur at 20:38 local time, with the Sun at just 6.9 degrees altitude above the horizon. The eclipse will be visible—the Sun rises above the horizon by a margin of 6.2 degrees—but its low position demands an observation point with the western-northwestern horizon completely clear. From this location there will be neither totality nor annularity: the eclipse is strictly partial.
The weather in August
August in Arcos de la Frontera shows, according to AEMET historical data from 1991–2020, low storm risk. The atmospheric stability of inland Cádiz in summer reduces the likelihood of convective clouds obscuring the sky during the eclipse. This factor takes special relevance given that maximum will occur at 20:38, when the Sun is already very close to the horizon and any cloud in the western-northwestern direction could be decisive for the eclipse's visibility.
Past eclipses
The last total solar eclipse visible from Arcos de la Frontera took place on 22 December 1870, 156 years ago, with a duration of approximately two minutes and twelve seconds. The last annular eclipse dates back to 1 April 1764, 262 years ago. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028, the next total eclipse will not arrive until 20 June 2327, more than three centuries in the future. The next annular eclipse is expected on 13 July 2075.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, at 20:38 on 12 August 2026, the Sun will be in the western-northwestern direction, with an azimuth of 283 degrees and altitude of just 6.9 degrees above the horizon. It is a very low position, typical of day's end. For unobstructed viewing, it is advisable to choose a location with the horizon clear between west and northwest: any building or ground elevation in that direction could hide the Sun at the moment of greatest obscuration.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Arcos de la Frontera
In Arcos de la Frontera, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:39 local time, with 94% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Arcos de la Frontera, the Sun was 7° above the horizon, toward the WNW. Even so, a clear horizon toward the WNW helped.
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 Arcos de la Frontera
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:43:06 | 17:43:06 UTC | +17.8° | 275.5° | |
| Maximum | 20:38:38 | 18:38:38 UTC | +6.9° | 283.4° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:57 | 18:57 UTC | +3.4° | 286.1° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:30:30 | 19:30:30 UTC | -2.5° | 291.1° |
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
- 36.7507° N
- Longitude
- 5.8106° W
- Elevation
- 144 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:43:06
- Maximum
- 20:38:38
- Eclipse ends
- 21:30:30
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:18:01
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 47m 24s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 94%
- Sun altitude
- +6.9°
- Sun azimuth
- 283.4°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (283.4°)
283.4° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
6.88°
Sun altitude at maximum
3.00°
Terrain horizon
+3.88°
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 Arcos de la Frontera
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra de GibalbínIn the Sun's direction | 410 m | 15.8 km | 305° NW |
| Cerro del EspartoIn the Sun's direction | 371 m | 16.5 km | 302° WNW |
| Cerro del Convento | — | 14.8 km | 63° ENE |
| Cerro de Taramillas | — | 24.3 km | 76° ENE |
| Cerro del Aguila | — | 24.6 km | 73° ENE |
| Cerro de los Gavilanes | — | 24.8 km | 73° ENE |
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The August sky
0%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 0%P75 — cloudier days · 2%
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 Arcos de la Frontera
- Last total eclipseDecember 22, 1870156 years ago
- Last annular eclipseApril 1, 1764262 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 Arcos de la Frontera
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Arcos de la Frontera?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 94% covered at maximum from Arcos de la Frontera.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Arcos de la Frontera?
Maximum occurred at 20:38 local time (18:38 UTC) in Arcos de la Frontera.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Arcos de la Frontera?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 283°), 7° above the horizon at maximum from Arcos de la Frontera.
Was Arcos de la Frontera a good place to watch the eclipse?
Arcos de la Frontera was a good option (score 50/100): all eclipse phases were visible, though not the regional optimum.
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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