Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:38
Cártama
36.711°, -4.633° · 89 m a.s.l.
94% of the Sun covered at maximum
Visible · score 50/100 Sun at +6° · 284° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 2.95° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 94% obscuration
CÁRTAMA · 36.711° N -4.633° W
Photo: Panarria · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Cártama, the Moon covered 94% of the Sun.
At 20:38 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Cártama, 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 99/ 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 72/ 100
Full ring visible
See the eclipse from Cártama minute by minute
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About Cártama
Cártama is a municipality in the province of Málaga, in Andalusia, which extends through the Guadalhorce valley a few kilometres northwest of the Málaga capital. With over 21,000 inhabitants and an altitude of 89 metres above sea level, the municipality combines the river plain with gentle hills of olive and citrus groves. Its position close to the Andalusian coast gives it a distinctly Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and a latitude favourable for astronomical observation.
For this eclipse
On 12 August 2026, Cártama will experience a partial solar eclipse whose maximum phase will occur at 20:37, with the Sun at just 6 degrees of altitude in the west-northwest direction. With a margin of 4.4 degrees above the topographic horizon, the phenomenon will be visible from the municipality, but the low elevation of the celestial body requires finding a clear vantage point towards the west: any hill, building or grove in that direction could hide it during the final minutes of the event.
The weather in August
August in Cártama is the warmest month of the year, with average temperatures of 27.7 °C, usual highs around 34 °C and nights that rarely drop below 21 °C. Rainfall is virtually non-existent—barely a millimetre on average per month—and the risk of storms in this period is low, according to AEMET records from the 1991-2020 period. Overall, the outlook is for dry days with little cloud cover, which favours outdoor observation.
Past eclipses
The last total solar eclipse visible from Cártama took place on 22 December 1870, more than 156 years ago; the totality phase lasted some two minutes at that time. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028 have passed, one must wait until 13 July 2075 to see an annular eclipse from here, and not until 20 June 2327 for a complete totality to cross this corner of the Guadalhorce valley again.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum phase, at 20:37, the Sun will be at an azimuth of 284 degrees and an elevation of 6 degrees, virtually in the west-northwest direction. At that evening hour, the Sun will have completed most of its daily journey and will descend rapidly towards the horizon. Orienting precisely towards the west-northwest and ensuring that stretch of horizon is free of obstacles is the most decisive factor in not missing the final moments of the eclipse.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Cártama
In Cártama, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:38 local time, with 94% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Cártama, the Sun was 6° 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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Don't miss it
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Eclipse schedule in Cártama
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:43:12 | 17:43:12 UTC | +16.8° | 276.2° | |
| Maximum | 20:38:24 | 18:38:24 UTC | +6.0° | 284.1° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:52 | 18:52 UTC | +3.4° | 286.1° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:30:01 | 19:30:01 UTC | -3.3° | 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
- 36.7107° N
- Longitude
- 4.6330° W
- Elevation
- 89 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:43:12
- Maximum
- 20:38:24
- Eclipse ends
- 21:30:01
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:13:16
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 46m 49s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 95%
- Sun altitude
- +6.0°
- Sun azimuth
- 284.1°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (284.1°)
284.1° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
6.02°
Sun altitude at maximum
3.06°
Terrain horizon
+2.95°
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 Cártama
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra PrietaIn the Sun's direction | 1519 m | 22.9 km | 286° WNW |
| La SierraIn the Sun's direction | 1517 m | 23.0 km | 286° WNW |
| Cerro de la BlanquillaIn the Sun's direction | 1506 m | 24.6 km | 285° WNW |
| Pico del Grajo, Alcaparaín o ValdiviaIn the Sun's direction | 1293 m | 22.9 km | 304° WNW |
| Pico Mijas | 1150 m | 11.1 km | 192° SSW |
| Cuerda Pino AltoIn the Sun's direction | 1092 m | 23.0 km | 282° WNW |
| Pico Mendoza | 1045 m | 11.0 km | 185° S |
| Castillejos | 1040 m | 20.6 km | 230° SW |
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The August sky
Avg. temp.
27.7°C
Max / min
33.8° / 21.5°
Precipitation
1 mm
Storm risk
Low
Station COÍN, 13 km away · Period 1991-2020 · Source: AEMET
0%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 0%P75 — cloudier days · 3%
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 Cártama
- 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 Cártama
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Cártama?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 94% covered at maximum from Cártama.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Cártama?
Maximum occurred at 20:38 local time (18:38 UTC) in Cártama.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Cártama?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 284°), 6° above the horizon at maximum from Cártama.
Was Cártama a good place to watch the eclipse?
Cártama 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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