Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:34
Benidorm
38.538°, -0.131° · 30 m a.s.l.
99.5% of the Sun covered at maximum
Marginal · score 41/100 Sun at +4° · 286° WNW
Marginal: only 0.43° between the Sun and the local skyline at peak.
Partial eclipse · 99.5% obscuration
BENIDORM · 38.538° N -0.131° W
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Benidorm, the Moon covered 99.5% of the Sun.
At 20:34 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Benidorm, covering up to 99.5% 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 60/ 100
Marginal visibility — depends on fine horizon
See the eclipse from Benidorm minute by minute
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About Benidorm
Benidorm is a coastal municipality in the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community, with just over 70,000 inhabitants and barely 30 meters above sea level. It sits in Marina Baixa, between two bays separated by a rocky headland, with direct access to the Mediterranean. The city combines a compact historic core with a highly developed coastline, making it one of the most visited Mediterranean destinations on the Spanish east coast.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Benidorm will experience a partial solar eclipse with the Sun grazing the western horizon. Maximum eclipse occurs at 20:34 h, when the Sun is barely 3.9° above the horizon with an azimuth of 286°, almost due west-northwest. With only 2° of clearance above the topographic horizon, any obstruction in that direction—tall buildings, hills, or low clouds—could interfere with viewing. It is recommended to find a position with an open horizon toward the west.
The weather in August
In August, Benidorm enjoys typical Mediterranean conditions: the risk of thunderstorms is low, favoring clear afternoons. Historical records from the AEMET station 8036Y, covering the period 1991–2020, reflect the stability characteristic of Levantine summers. The climate pattern of the area indicates warm, dry summers with sparse cloud cover—ideal conditions for observing the phenomenon on days without isolated convective episodes.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Benidorm dates back to May 12, 1706, 320 years ago, lasting almost 3 minutes. More recent is the annular eclipse of October 3, 2005, 21 years ago, which covered more than 90% of the solar disk and lasted just under 4 minutes. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027, and 2028, the next annular eclipse visible from here won't occur until July 13, 2075.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At maximum eclipse on August 12, 2026 at 20:34 h, the Sun is 3.9° above the horizon with an azimuth of 286°, almost due west-northwest. This direction corresponds to the open sea view from most points in the city. The Sun will be very close to sunset, so the light will be grazing and the atmosphere will take on warm tones during the phenomenon.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Benidorm
In Benidorm, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:34 local time, with 99.5% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Benidorm, the Sun was 4° above the horizon, toward the WNW. It sat right at the edge of the horizon: even a small nearby obstacle could have blocked it.
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 Benidorm
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:39:59 | 17:39:59 UTC | +14.1° | 277.9° | |
| Maximum | 20:34:21 | 18:34:21 UTC | +3.9° | 286.0° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:38 | 18:38 UTC | +3.3° | 286.5° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:25:23 | 19:25:23 UTC | -5.1° | 294.0° |
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
- 38.5382° N
- Longitude
- 0.1310° W
- Elevation
- 30 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:39:59
- Maximum
- 20:34:21
- Eclipse ends
- 21:25:23
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 20:58:33
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 24s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 99.6%
- 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
3.88°
Sun altitude at maximum
3.45°
Terrain horizon
+0.43°
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 Benidorm
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aitana | 1559.4 m | 17.1 km | 317° NW |
| Aitana Oriental | 1549 m | 16.8 km | 318° NW |
| Penya Alta | 1504 m | 16.0 km | 321° NW |
| Moleta d’Aitana | 1466 m | 19.7 km | 312° NW |
| Alt de Tagarina | 1434 m | 15.6 km | 323° NW |
| el Puigcampana | 1408 m | 8.5 km | 321° NW |
| Pla de la Casa | 1385 m | 23.4 km | 328° NNW |
| la Mallada del Llop | 1361 m | 22.0 km | 334° NNW |
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The August sky
6%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%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 Benidorm
- 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 Benidorm
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Benidorm?
Yes, but marginally: with 99.5% obscuration, the topographic horizon from Benidorm was very close to the Sun's altitude at the end.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Benidorm?
Maximum occurred at 20:34 local time (18:34 UTC) in Benidorm.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Benidorm?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 286°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from Benidorm.
Was Benidorm a good place to watch the eclipse?
Benidorm could see the eclipse with limitations (score 41/100): terrain, geometry, or climatology added risk. A higher-scored viewpoint would have been preferable.
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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