Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:36
Cartagena
37.602°, -0.984° · 1 m a.s.l.
98% of the Sun covered at maximum
Marginal · score 42/100 Sun at +4° · 286° WNW
Marginal: only 0.94° between the Sun and the local skyline at peak.
Partial eclipse · 98% obscuration
CARTAGENA · 37.602° N -0.984° W
Photo: Juan Sáez from Cartagena, España · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Cartagena, the Moon covered 98% of the Sun.
At 20:36 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Cartagena, covering up to 98% 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 25/ 100
Marginal visibility — depends on fine horizon
See the eclipse from Cartagena minute by minute
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About Cartagena
Cartagena is a port city in the Region of Murcia, located on the Mediterranean coast at a virtually sea-level altitude, barely 1 meter above sea level. Founded over 22 centuries ago, the city combines a long history as a commercial and military hub with its natural port character. The current population is around 214,000 inhabitants.
For this eclipse
The partial eclipse on August 12, 2026, will be visible from Cartagena. At maximum, the Sun sits barely 4 degrees above the horizon toward the west. Given this low solar altitude, it is essential to have a completely clear line of sight toward the west, preferably from the coast.
The weather in August
AEMET data from 1991-2020 indicates that August in Cartagena has an average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius, with highs of 30.4 degrees and lows of 23.7 degrees. Precipitation is extremely low, at only 3.4 millimeters, and thunderstorm risk is low, providing very favorable conditions for observing the phenomenon.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse observed from Cartagena occurred on May 12, 1706, 320 years ago. The next total eclipse will reach this region on June 20, 2327, remaining visible from the city for 318 seconds.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, the Sun is located at a height of 4 degrees above the horizon, oriented toward the west. This low position is characteristic of observations at Mediterranean latitudes during times near sunset, requiring an area of completely unobstructed horizon in that cardinal direction.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Cartagena
In Cartagena, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:36 local time, with 98% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Cartagena, 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 Cartagena
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:41:36 | 17:41:36 UTC | +14.4° | 277.8° | |
| Maximum | 20:36:01 | 18:36:01 UTC | +3.9° | 285.8° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:42 | 18:42 UTC | +2.9° | 286.6° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:27:03 | 19:27:03 UTC | -5.2° | 293.7° |
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
- 37.6020° N
- Longitude
- 0.9840° W
- Elevation
- 1 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:41:36
- Maximum
- 20:36:01
- Eclipse ends
- 21:27:03
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:00:16
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 27s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 98%
- Sun altitude
- +3.9°
- Sun azimuth
- 285.8°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (285.8°)
285.8° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
3.95°
Sun altitude at maximum
3.01°
Terrain horizon
+0.94°
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 Cartagena
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peñas Blancas | 625 m | 15.0 km | 271° W |
| La Muela | 546 m | 10.1 km | 259° W |
| Morra de los Garabitos | 546 m | 12.6 km | 259° W |
| Morra de las Casas | 499 m | 13.8 km | 266° W |
| Morra del Toscal | 495 m | 10.9 km | 260° W |
| Garabitos | 489 m | 13.0 km | 256° WSW |
| Cabezo Colorado | 486 m | 10.4 km | 255° WSW |
| Morra de los Monteses | 484 m | 13.8 km | 263° W |
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The August sky
Avg. temp.
27°C
Max / min
30.4° / 23.7°
Precipitation
3.4 mm
Storm risk
Low
Station CARTAGENA, 0 km away · Period 1991-2020 · Source: AEMET
6%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 6%P75 — cloudier days · 18%
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 Cartagena
- Last total eclipseMay 12, 1706320 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 Cartagena
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Cartagena?
Yes, but marginally: with 98% obscuration, the topographic horizon from Cartagena was very close to the Sun's altitude at the end.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Cartagena?
Maximum occurred at 20:36 local time (18:36 UTC) in Cartagena.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Cartagena?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 286°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from Cartagena.
Was Cartagena a good place to watch the eclipse?
Cartagena could see the eclipse with limitations (score 42/100): 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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