Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:39
Benalmádena
36.596°, -4.573° · 240 m a.s.l.
94% of the Sun covered at maximum
Hidden by terrain · score 39/100 Sun at +6° · 284° WNW
Local terrain rises 10.84° above the Sun at peak.
Partial eclipse · 94% obscuration
BENALMÁDENA · 36.596° N -4.573° W
Photo: Thomas Dahlstrøm Nielsen · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Benalmádena, the Moon covered 94% of the Sun.
At 20:39 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Benalmádena, 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 100/ 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 57/ 100
Marginal visibility — depends on fine horizon
See the eclipse from Benalmádena minute by minute
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About Benalmádena
Benalmádena is a municipality in the province of Málaga, in Andalusia, with approximately 58,900 inhabitants and a mean altitude of 240 metres above sea level. It stretches from the foothills of the Sierra de Mijas to the Mediterranean coast, which gives it notable landscape diversity across a relatively compact territory. Its location on the western shore of the Costa del Sol makes it a habitual reference point for Andalusian tourism.
For this eclipse
On 12 August 2026, Benalmádena will lie outside the totality band: the eclipse will be partial from this locality. The moment of maximum obscuration will occur at 20:38, when the Sun will already be below the local topographic horizon, with an altitude of barely 5.9° above the geometric horizon but a negative margin of 9.6° relative to the terrain. In practice, the Sierra de Mijas ridge will block the view of the phenomenon at that moment.
The weather in August
August in Benalmádena is characterised by a low storm risk, typical of the Mediterranean coastal climate of the Málaga shoreline. Marine influence moderates summer temperatures and reduces the convective instability that can affect inland Andalusia. Although temperature and precipitation data from the reference AEMET station are not currently available, the climatic pattern of the area is consistent with predominantly clear skies throughout the day.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Benalmádena occurred on 22 December 1870, 156 years ago, with a totality of approximately two minutes and seven seconds. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028, one will have to wait until 13 July 2075 to witness an annular eclipse from this municipality. The following total eclipse will not arrive until 20 June 2327, with a slightly longer totality of three minutes and twenty-four seconds.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, at 20:38, the Sun will be at an azimuth of 284°, that is, almost west-northwest, slightly displaced towards the north from due west. Its altitude above the geometric horizon will be as little as 5.9°, which is roughly equivalent to the width of an outstretched hand at arm's length. This grazing position, combined with the orography of the Sierra de Mijas to the northwest, explains why the terrain blocks the Sun at that moment.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Benalmádena
In Benalmádena, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:39 local time, with 94% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Benalmádena, the Sun was 6° 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 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 Benalmádena
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:43:24 | 17:43:24 UTC | +16.7° | 276.3° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 19:50 | 17:50 UTC | +15.3° | 277.3° | |
| Maximumnot visible | 20:38:34 | 18:38:34 UTC | +5.9° | 284.2° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:30:08 | 19:30:08 UTC | -3.5° | 291.8° |
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
- 36.5961° N
- Longitude
- 4.5727° W
- Elevation
- 240 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:43:24
- Maximum
- 20:38:34
- Eclipse ends
- 21:30:08
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:12:47
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 46m 45s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 94%
- Sun altitude
- +5.9°
- Sun azimuth
- 284.2°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (284.2°)
284.2° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
5.91°
Sun altitude at maximum
16.75°
Terrain horizon
-10.84°
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 Benalmádena
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pico MijasIn the Sun's direction | 1150 m | 8.0 km | 284° WNW |
| Pico MendozaIn the Sun's direction | 1045 m | 6.6 km | 286° WNW |
| Castillejos | 1040 m | 21.2 km | 269° W |
| Cerro del Águila | 1010 m | 18.9 km | 270° W |
| Monte Calamorro | 770 m | 2.5 km | 24° NNE |
| Cerro Guerrero | 681 m | 2.1 km | 9° N |
| Cerro Toro | 651 m | 16.5 km | 269° W |
| Jabalcúzar | 609 m | 6.3 km | 29° NNE |
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The August sky
0%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 0%P75 — cloudier days · 8%
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 Benalmádena
- Last total eclipseDecember 22, 1870156 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 Benalmádena
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Benalmádena?
Geometrically yes (94% obscuration), but the local terrain blocked the Sun before the eclipse ended from Benalmádena.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Benalmádena?
Maximum occurred at 20:38 local time (18:38 UTC) in Benalmádena.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Benalmádena?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 284°), 6° above the horizon at maximum from Benalmádena.
Was Benalmádena a good place to watch the eclipse?
Benalmádena 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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