Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:30
Castelldefels
41.278°, 1.970° · 14 m a.s.l.
99.9% of the Sun covered at maximum
Hidden by terrain · score 38/100 Sun at +4° · 286° WNW
Local terrain rises 3.84° above the Sun at peak.
Partial eclipse · 99.9% obscuration
CASTELLDEFELS · 41.278° N 1.970° E
Photo: Year of the dragon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Castelldefels, the Moon covered 99.9% of the Sun.
At 20:30 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Castelldefels, covering up to 99.9% 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 50/ 100
Blocked by terrain
See the eclipse from Castelldefels minute by minute
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About Castelldefels
Castelldefels is a coastal municipality in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, with approximately 66,000 inhabitants. It sits just 14 metres above sea level, nestled between the Garraf massif and the Mediterranean Sea. Its kilometres-long beaches and proximity to Barcelona—about 20 kilometres to the southwest—make it a city with a distinctly residential and tourist character within the metropolitan area.
For this eclipse
On 12 August 2026, Castelldefels will experience a partial solar eclipse with maximum at 20:29 local time. At that moment, the Sun will be just 4° above the horizon, and topographic horizon calculations indicate it will dip below the horizon line: the terrain will obstruct the view of maximum from ground level. Finding an elevated vantage point with a clear western to northwestern horizon will be essential to observe the phenomenon.
The weather in August
August is the sunniest month of the year in Castelldefels: AEMET's reference station (1991–2020 series) records an average of 272 hours of sunshine monthly and a 66% probability of clear skies. Temperatures are warm, averaging 25 °C, with highs around 29 °C and lows of 21 °C. The month's average precipitation is 51 mm, concentrated mainly in convective thunderstorms, with a moderate thunderstorm risk classification.
Past eclipses
The last total solar eclipse visible from Castelldefels occurred on 12 May 1706, 320 years ago, with a totality duration of 3 minutes and 55 seconds. More recently, on 11 November 1901, an annular eclipse reached 82% obscuration over the city. After the eclipses of 2026 and 2028, one must wait until 13 July 2075 for another annular eclipse to pass over Castelldefels.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, at 20:29 on 12 August 2026, the Sun will be positioned at azimuth 286°—towards the west-northwest, very close to sunset. Its altitude above the geometric horizon will be just 4°, equivalent to less than four solar diameters above the horizon line. This low position means any obstacle—a building, hill, or trees—could completely block the view.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Castelldefels
In Castelldefels, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:30 local time, with 99.9% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Castelldefels, the Sun was 4° 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 19% 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 Castelldefels
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:35:17 | 17:35:17 UTC | +13.8° | 277.8° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:08 | 18:08 UTC | +7.8° | 283.0° | |
| Maximumnot visible | 20:29:32 | 18:29:32 UTC | +4.0° | 286.4° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:20:36 | 19:20:36 UTC | -4.6° | 294.9° |
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
- 41.2779° N
- Longitude
- 1.9703° E
- Elevation
- 14 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:35:17
- Maximum
- 20:29:32
- Eclipse ends
- 21:20:36
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 20:55:24
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 19s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 99.9%
- Sun altitude
- +4.0°
- Sun azimuth
- 286.4°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (286.4°)
286.4° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
3.98°
Sun altitude at maximum
7.82°
Terrain horizon
-3.84°
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 Castelldefels
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montau | 658 m | 10.4 km | 317° NW |
| Puig d'Agulles | 652.9 m | 16.1 km | 334° NNW |
| el Montcau | 645.8 m | 17.2 km | 329° NNW |
| Roc de Forellac | 628.9 m | 16.7 km | 333° NNW |
| Puig Saiada | 621 m | 10.3 km | 323° NW |
| Puig de l'Osca | 614.9 m | 13.3 km | 329° NNW |
| Puig Bernat | 612 m | 12.9 km | 325° NW |
| Pujol de Migjorn | 600.6 m | 17.6 km | 337° NNW |
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The August sky
Avg. temp.
25.1°C
Max / min
28.9° / 21.3°
Precipitation
51.2 mm
Storm risk
Medium
Station BARCELONA AEROPUERTO, 9 km away · Period 1991-2020 · Source: AEMET
19%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 6%Median cloud cover · 19%P75 — cloudier days · 61%
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 Castelldefels
- Last total eclipseMay 12, 1706320 years ago
- Last annular eclipseNovember 11, 1901125 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 Castelldefels
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Castelldefels?
Geometrically yes (99.9% obscuration), but the local terrain blocked the Sun before the eclipse ended from Castelldefels.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Castelldefels?
Maximum occurred at 20:29 local time (18:29 UTC) in Castelldefels.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Castelldefels?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 286°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from Castelldefels.
Was Castelldefels a good place to watch the eclipse?
Castelldefels 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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