Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:28
Barakaldo
43.296°, -2.988° · 27 m a.s.l.
0 min 18 s of night in broad daylight
Visible · score 75/100 Sun at +8° · 283° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 6.92° at C3.
Full totality was visible here. C3 — the end of totality — stayed above the horizon.
Total eclipse · 100% obscuration
C1 — Partial begins
19:32
☀ +18°
C2 — Totality begins
20:27
☀ +8°
Maximum
20:28
18s · 283° WNW
C4 — Partial ends
21:20
☀ -0°
BARAKALDO · 43.296° N -2.988° W
Photo: User:Theklan · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
In Barakaldo, day turned to night for 0 min 18 s.
At 20:28 local time, the Moon fully covered the Sun over Barakaldo. For 0 min 18 s, the sky darkened as if it were night, leaving the Sun as a ring of light around a black disc.
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 23/ 100
Blocked by terrain
See the eclipse from Barakaldo minute by minute
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About Barakaldo
Barakaldo is a municipality in Bizkaia, in the Basque Country, located on the left bank of the Nervión estuary, just 27 meters above sea level. With over 100,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Bizkaia after Bilbao. Its documented origins trace back to the year 1051. Historically linked to the steel industry, today it combines residential areas, commercial spaces, and direct access to the Bilbao metropolitan area.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Barakaldo lies within the path of totality of the solar eclipse. Maximum occurs at 20:27, with the Sun at 8.3° above the horizon toward the west-northwest (azimuth 283°). The clearance from the topographic horizon is 7°, ensuring good visibility of contact C3. Observers in the city will witness the total phase without significant obstructions in that direction.
The weather in August
August is the warmest month in Barakaldo, though Atlantic influence moderates temperatures: the average stands at 21.2 °C, with highs rarely exceeding 26.3 °C. Average precipitation for the month is around 52.7 mm, and the risk of thunderstorms is moderate. The probability of clear skies in August is 44 %, meaning viewing conditions can vary significantly. The month accumulates about 183 hours of sunshine. Data: AEMET (1991–2020).
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Barakaldo occurred on July 18, 1860, 166 years ago, with a totality duration of 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Before that event, on April 1, 1764, an annular eclipse took place with 86.9 % obscuration and a visible ring for more than 6 minutes. Following the eclipses of 2026, 2027, and 2028, the next annular eclipse will arrive on February 27, 2082, and the next total eclipse will not occur until November 17, 2180.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of eclipse maximum, at 20:27, the Sun is at azimuth 283°, oriented toward the west-northwest. Its altitude above the horizon is 8.3°, a low position typical of late afternoon in August at these Basque latitudes. To ensure unobstructed viewing, choose a clear location with an open horizon toward the west-northwest, avoiding buildings, trees, or hills in that direction.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Barakaldo
In Barakaldo, totality began at 20:27 local time and lasted 0 min 18 s, until 20:28. The eclipse maximum fell at 20:28.
In Barakaldo, the Sun was 8° above the horizon, toward the WNW. With that much margin above the horizon, any spot with open sky worked.
This area typically sees around 44% 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 Barakaldo
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:31:45 | 17:31:45 UTC | +18.3° | 273.4° | |
| C2 — Totality begins | 20:27:27 | 18:27:27 UTC | +8.3° | 282.6° | |
| Maximum | 20:27:36 | 18:27:36 UTC | +8.3° | 282.6° | |
| C3 — Totality ends | 20:27:45 | 18:27:45 UTC | +8.3° | 282.7° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 21:11 | 19:11 UTC | +1.0° | 290.0° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:20:03 | 19:20:03 UTC | -0.3° | 291.5° |
Phases marked with ⛰️ were not seen: the Sun was already hidden behind the real terrain at that moment.
C2/C3 times and duration corrected for the lunar limb (the Moon's real edge profile).
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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
- 43.2964° N
- Longitude
- 2.9881° W
- Elevation
- 27 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:31:45
- Totality begins
- 20:27:27
- Maximum
- 20:27:36
- Totality ends
- 20:27:45
- Eclipse ends
- 21:20:03
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:19:24
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 48m 18s
- Totality
- 18s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 100%
- Sun altitude
- +8.3°
- Sun azimuth
- 282.6°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (282.6°)
282.6° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
8.29°
Sun altitude at maximum
1.34°
Terrain horizon
+6.92°
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 Barakaldo
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ganekogorta | 999.2 m | 10.5 km | 176° S |
| Arrabatxu | 984 m | 10.7 km | 178° S |
| Pagero | 963 m | 10.7 km | 181° S |
| Terreros | 911 m | 24.4 km | 242° WSW |
| Gallarraga | 901 m | 11.2 km | 188° S |
| Eretza | 887 m | 8.9 km | 216° SW |
| Kolitza | 883 m | 23.8 km | 244° WSW |
| Biderdi | 877 m | 10.3 km | 169° S |
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The August sky
Avg. temp.
21.2°C
Max / min
26.3° / 16.1°
Precipitation
52.7 mm
Storm risk
Medium
Station BILBAO AEROPUERTO, 7 km away · Period 1991-2020 · Source: AEMET
44%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 12%Median cloud cover · 44%P75 — cloudier days · 83%
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 Barakaldo
- Last total eclipseAugust 12, 20260 years ago
- Last annular eclipseApril 1, 1764262 years ago
- Next total eclipseNovember 17, 2180
- Next annular eclipseFebruary 27, 2082
Solar eclipses computed from astronomical ephemerides for the city's coordinates.
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Frequently asked questions about the eclipse in Barakaldo
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Barakaldo?
Yes — Barakaldo was inside the totality path and the horizon allowed the total phase to be fully visible.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Barakaldo?
Maximum occurred at 20:27 local time (18:27 UTC) in Barakaldo.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Barakaldo?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 283°), 8° above the horizon at maximum from Barakaldo.
How long did totality last in Barakaldo?
Totality lasted 0 min 18 s in Barakaldo (C2 to C3). (corrected for the Moon's limb profile)
Was Barakaldo a good place to watch the eclipse?
Barakaldo saw totality (C2-C3) very close to the western horizon. The partial end (C4) fell below the horizon: a clear western view was needed for an epic experience.
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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