Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:30
El Vendrell
41.217°, 1.533° · 41 m a.s.l.
0 min 25 s of night in broad daylight
Marginal · score 57/100 Sun at +4° · 286° WNW
Marginal: only 0.35° between the Sun and the local skyline at C3.
Total eclipse · 100% obscuration
C1 — Partial begins
19:35
☀ +14°
C2 — Totality begins
20:30
☀ +4°
Maximum
20:30
25s · 286° WNW
C4 — Partial ends
21:21
☀ -4°
EL VENDRELL · 41.217° N 1.533° E
Photo: Yearofthedragon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In El Vendrell, day turned to night for 0 min 25 s.
At 20:30 local time, the Moon fully covered the Sun over El Vendrell. For 0 min 25 s, the sky darkened as if it were night, leaving the Sun as a ring of light around a black disc.
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 El Vendrell minute by minute
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About El Vendrell
El Vendrell is a municipality in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, with approximately 35,800 inhabitants. Located at 41 metres above sea level, it occupies the coastal sector of southern Catalonia, in a zone with gentle terrain characteristic of towns along the Tarragona coast. Its low altitude and proximity to the Mediterranean coast create a geographic setting with relatively open horizons, a condition of great relevance for outdoor astronomical observation.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, El Vendrell sits within the path of totality of the solar eclipse. However, the verdict is marginal: at the moment of third contact—the end of totality—the Sun will reach a height of just 4.2 degrees above the horizon, with a margin of barely 0.1 degrees relative to local terrain. To witness totality, you need a completely clear line of sight toward the west-northwest. Any obstruction in that direction can prevent observation.
The weather in August
According to records from the AEMET station 0066X for the period 1991–2020, August shows a low risk of storms in El Vendrell. This is favourable for those planning to observe the eclipse. Sky conditions during the twilight hours of August 12 will be the decisive factor, since the Sun will reach its most critical point relative to the horizon precisely at sunset. It is advisable to check the weather forecast in the days leading up to the eclipse to fine-tune your planning.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from El Vendrell occurred on May 12, 1706, more than three centuries ago, with a totality phase of almost four minutes. The most recent annular eclipse took place on November 11, 1901. Following the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028, the next annular eclipse will not be visible until July 13, 2075, and the next total eclipse until November 17, 2180.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, expected at 8:29 p.m. local time on August 12, 2026, the Sun will be in the west-northwest direction, with an azimuth of 286 degrees. Its height above the horizon will be just 4.2 degrees—about four fingers wide at arm's length. The Sun will be close to setting, making the line of sight toward the west-northwest the decisive factor for observing totality from El Vendrell.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from El Vendrell
In El Vendrell, totality began at 20:30 local time and lasted 0 min 25 s, until 20:30. The eclipse maximum fell at 20:30.
In El Vendrell, 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 16% 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 El Vendrell
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:35:24 | 17:35:24 UTC | +14.1° | 277.5° | |
| C2 — Totality begins | 20:29:32 | 18:29:32 UTC | +4.3° | 286.1° | |
| Maximum | 20:29:45 | 18:29:45 UTC | +4.2° | 286.2° | |
| C3 — Totality ends | 20:29:57 | 18:29:57 UTC | +4.2° | 286.2° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:32 | 18:32 UTC | +3.9° | 286.4° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:20:54 | 19:20:54 UTC | -4.4° | 294.6° |
Phases marked with ⛰️ were not seen: the Sun was already hidden behind the real terrain at that moment.
C2/C3 times and duration corrected for the lunar limb (the Moon's real edge profile).
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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
- 41.2167° N
- Longitude
- 1.5333° E
- Elevation
- 41 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:35:24
- Totality begins
- 20:29:32
- Maximum
- 20:29:45
- Totality ends
- 20:29:57
- Eclipse ends
- 21:20:54
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 20:57:01
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 30s
- Totality
- 25s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 100%
- Sun altitude
- +4.2°
- Sun azimuth
- 286.2°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (286.2°)
286.2° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
4.23°
Sun altitude at maximum
3.83°
Terrain horizon
+0.35°
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 El Vendrell
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puig de Formigosa | 1002 m | 24.0 km | 342° NNW |
| Montagut | 963 m | 23.1 km | 336° NNW |
| Puig de Solanes | 913.9 m | 24.5 km | 353° N |
| la Creu de la Costa | 908.1 m | 24.6 km | 345° NNW |
| Puig d'en Rovira | 904.2 m | 23.9 km | 335° NNW |
| Puig de les Basses | 884.6 m | 23.3 km | 332° NNW |
| Puig de la Talaia | 861.3 m | 14.4 km | 337° NNW |
| Turó de Mas d'en Bosc | 851.1 m | 19.4 km | 338° NNW |
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The August sky
16%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 3%Median cloud cover · 16%P75 — cloudier days · 63%
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 El Vendrell
The path of totality crossed over El Vendrell, but the Sun was behind the terrain before the total phase began.
- Last total eclipseMay 12, 1706320 years ago
- Last annular eclipseNovember 11, 1901125 years ago
- Totality blocked by terrainAugust 12, 20260 years ago
- Next total eclipseNovember 17, 2180
- 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 El Vendrell
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from El Vendrell?
Yes, but marginally: with 100% obscuration, the topographic horizon from El Vendrell was very close to the Sun's altitude at the end.
What time was the eclipse maximum in El Vendrell?
Maximum occurred at 20:29 local time (18:29 UTC) in El Vendrell.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from El Vendrell?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 286°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from El Vendrell.
How long did totality last in El Vendrell?
Totality lasted 0 min 25 s in El Vendrell (C2 to C3). (corrected for the Moon's limb profile)
Was El Vendrell a good place to watch the eclipse?
El Vendrell saw totality (C2-C3) very close to the western horizon. The partial end (C4) fell below the horizon: a clear western view was needed for an epic experience.
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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