Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:35
Elda
38.478°, -0.792° · 412 m a.s.l.
99% of the Sun covered at maximum
Visible · score 46/100 Sun at +4° · 286° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 1.75° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 99% obscuration
ELDA · 38.478° N -0.792° W
Photo: FoxR · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Elda, the Moon covered 99% of the Sun.
At 20:35 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Elda, covering up to 99% 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 63/ 100
Marginal visibility — depends on fine horizon
See the eclipse from Elda minute by minute
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About Elda
Elda is a municipality in the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community, with just over 55,000 inhabitants. Located at 412 meters elevation in the Vinalopó river valley, the city sits framed between interior mountain ranges that shape its horizon. Its geographical position on the axis connecting Alicante to Murcia makes it a key reference point in the Medio Vinalopó region.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Elda will experience a partial solar eclipse that reaches its maximum at 20:34 local time. At that moment, the Sun will be just 4.3° above the horizon, equivalent to less than two solar diameters. The western sky must be clear with unobstructed views toward the horizon: any obstacle in that direction could prevent you from seeing the event at its peak. The margin above the topographic horizon is 2.6°.
The weather in August
August in Elda falls during the driest and most stable period of the year in inland Alicante. Data from the reference AEMET station (8013X) indicate a low risk of thunderstorms, favoring atmospheric stability during summer afternoons. The semi-arid character of the Vinalopó valley encourages clear skies frequently, though proximity to the Mediterranean can introduce some morning cloud cover that typically disperses before noon. Data: AEMET (period 1991–2020).
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Elda occurred on May 28, 1900, lasting 76 seconds of totality—over 126 years ago. More recently, on October 3, 2005, the city witnessed an annular eclipse with 90.4% obscuration and a visible solar ring for approximately 171 seconds. Following the eclipses of 2026 and 2028, the next annular eclipse to pass over this area will not occur until July 13, 2075.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, 20:34, the Sun is positioned at 286° azimuth, that is, nearly due west-northwest. With an altitude of 4.3° above the horizon, the Sun will be descending toward sunset, meaning observation requires a completely clear western horizon. A practical reference: the Sun will be slightly to the right of due west, nearly aligned with geometric northwest.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Elda
In Elda, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:35 local time, with 99% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Elda, the Sun was 4° above the horizon, toward the WNW. Even so, a clear horizon toward the WNW helped.
This area typically sees around 9% 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 Elda
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:40:07 | 17:40:07 UTC | +14.6° | 277.5° | |
| Maximum | 20:34:38 | 18:34:38 UTC | +4.3° | 285.7° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:43 | 18:43 UTC | +2.7° | 287.0° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:25:48 | 19:25:48 UTC | -4.7° | 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
- 38.4778° N
- Longitude
- 0.7916° W
- Elevation
- 412 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:40:07
- Maximum
- 20:34:38
- Eclipse ends
- 21:25:48
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:00:58
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 41s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 99%
- Sun altitude
- +4.3°
- Sun azimuth
- 285.7°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (285.7°)
285.7° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
4.29°
Sun altitude at maximum
2.54°
Terrain horizon
+1.75°
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 Elda
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| el Maigmó | 1296 m | 14.2 km | 79° E |
| Despenyador | 1261 m | 12.1 km | 59° ENE |
| Alt de Guisop | 1249 m | 12.4 km | 73° ENE |
| Alt del Carrascalet | 1245 m | 12.4 km | 63° ENE |
| Les Planisses | 1241 m | 12.3 km | 65° ENE |
| Alto de la Capilla del Fraile | 1238 m | 19.4 km | 276° W |
| la Replana | 1229.4 m | 11.6 km | 27° NNE |
| Penya Migjorn | 1226 m | 22.7 km | 74° ENE |
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The August sky
9%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 9%P75 — cloudier days · 42%
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 Elda
- Last total eclipseMay 28, 1900126 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 Elda
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Elda?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 99% covered at maximum from Elda.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Elda?
Maximum occurred at 20:34 local time (18:34 UTC) in Elda.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Elda?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 286°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from Elda.
Was Elda a good place to watch the eclipse?
Elda could see the eclipse with limitations (score 46/100): 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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