Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:39
Estepona
36.428°, -5.146° · 69 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 3.43° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 94% obscuration
ESTEPONA · 36.428° N -5.146° W
Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Estepona, the Moon covered 94% of the Sun.
At 20:39 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Estepona, 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 100/ 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 77/ 100
Full ring visible
See the eclipse from Estepona minute by minute
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About Estepona
Estepona is a coastal municipality in the province of Málaga, in the western part of Andalusia's Costa del Sol. With a population of around 67,000 and an altitude of 69 metres above sea level, the locality stretches along the Mediterranean shore, near the Strait of Gibraltar. Its position at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula gives it a mild and bright climate, with low rainfall throughout the year.
For this eclipse
On 12 August 2026, Estepona will experience a partial solar eclipse. Maximum will occur at approximately 20:38 local time, when the Sun will be just 6.3° above the horizon, very close to sunset. With an azimuth of 284°, it will be slightly north of due west. The clearance above the terrain horizon is 4.5°, so it is advisable to seek a location with a clear horizon towards the west-northwest.
The weather in August
August in Estepona stands out for its dryness: AEMET's climate series (1991–2020) records an average precipitation of just 1 mm throughout the month. The risk of storms is low, which favours a high probability of clear skies during the eclipse. The proximity to the Mediterranean Sea moderates temperatures in the late afternoon, making the evening of 12 August a climatologically favourable moment for observation.
Past eclipses
The last total solar eclipse observed from Estepona took place on 22 December 1870, 156 years ago, with totality lasting approximately 2 minutes and 14 seconds. Following the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028, the next notable phenomenon for this area will be an annular eclipse on 13 July 2075, with an obscuration of 87.2% of the solar disc and an annular duration of approximately 3 minutes and 19 seconds.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, the Sun will be in the west-northwest direction, with an azimuth of 284° and an altitude of 6.3° above the horizon. This very low position requires a horizon free from obstructions—buildings, woodland or hills—in that direction. Orienting yourself beforehand towards the point where the Sun will set allows you to identify the exact angle of observation and prepare your position with adequate time.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Estepona
In Estepona, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:39 local time, with 94% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Estepona, 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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Eclipse schedule in Estepona
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:43:41 | 17:43:41 UTC | +17.1° | 276.1° | |
| Maximum | 20:38:58 | 18:38:58 UTC | +6.2° | 283.9° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:54 | 18:54 UTC | +3.5° | 286.0° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:30:38 | 19:30:38 UTC | -3.2° | 291.5° |
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
- 36.4276° N
- Longitude
- 5.1459° W
- Elevation
- 69 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:43:41
- Maximum
- 20:38:58
- Eclipse ends
- 21:30:38
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:14:50
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 46m 57s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 94%
- Sun altitude
- +6.2°
- Sun azimuth
- 283.9°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (283.9°)
283.9° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
6.23°
Sun altitude at maximum
2.80°
Terrain horizon
+3.43°
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 Estepona
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Encinetas | 1473 m | 19.6 km | 25° NNE |
| Reales | 1440 m | 8.5 km | 319° NW |
| Las Cascajeras | 1416 m | 24.0 km | 15° NNE |
| Alto Castillejo de los Negros | 1375 m | 18.6 km | 29° NNE |
| Peñón del Robledal | 1374 m | 24.0 km | 18° NNE |
| La Concha | 1215 m | 24.0 km | 55° NE |
| La Concha | 1215 m | 24.1 km | 55° NE |
| Jardón | 1158 m | 17.9 km | 356° N |
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The August sky
0%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 0%P75 — cloudier days · 8%
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 Estepona
- Last total eclipseDecember 22, 1870156 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 Estepona
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Estepona?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 94% covered at maximum from Estepona.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Estepona?
Maximum occurred at 20:38 local time (18:38 UTC) in Estepona.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Estepona?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 284°), 6° above the horizon at maximum from Estepona.
Was Estepona a good place to watch the eclipse?
Estepona 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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