Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:32
Galapagar
40.578°, -4.004° · 883 m a.s.l.
0 min 0 s of night in broad daylight
Visible · score 70/100 Sun at +8° · 283° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 4.91° at C3.
Full totality was visible here, but the Sun set before the partial phase ended — an unusually epic finale.
Total eclipse · 100% obscuration
C1 — Partial begins
19:36
☀ +18°
C2 — Totality begins
20:32
☀ +8°
Maximum
20:32
0s · 283° WNW
C4 — Partial ends
21:24
☀ -1°
GALAPAGAR · 40.578° N -4.004° W
Photo: Dirección General de Turismo. Consejería de Economía e Innovación Tecnológica. Comunidad de Madrid · CC BY 3.0 es · Wikimedia Commons
In Galapagar, day turned to night for 0 min 0 s.
At 20:32 local time, the Moon fully covered the Sun over Galapagar. For 0 min 0 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 37/ 100
Eclipse visible
See the eclipse from Galapagar minute by minute
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About Galapagar
Galapagar is a municipality in the province of Madrid, in the Community of Madrid, located at 883 metres altitude on the piedmont of the Sierra de Guadarrama. With a population of around 31,800 inhabitants, it occupies an intermediate position between the mountain range and the Madrid plain. Its elevation above sea level gives it a distinct character from the lowland municipalities: cooler summers and a northern horizon dominated by the peaks of the Central System.
For this eclipse
On 12 August 2026, Galapagar will experience a partial solar eclipse. Maximum will occur at 20:31 (local time), with the Sun oriented towards the west-northwest (azimuth 283°) and just 7.6 degrees above the horizon. The clearance above the local topographic horizon is 5.6 degrees, making the eclipse visible from the locality. Given the low solar angle, it is best to choose a location with a clear horizon towards the west-northwest, free from buildings or trees that could obstruct the view.
The weather in August
In August, Galapagar records a low risk of thunderstorms according to AEMET data for the 1991–2020 period. This is favourable for anyone planning to observe the eclipse on the 12th: the phenomenon reaches its peak well into the afternoon, when convective activity typically declines in upland zones. The altitude of 883 metres moderates the summer temperatures typical of interior Madrid, making the hours of waiting outdoors more bearable. Data: AEMET (1991–2020).
Past eclipses
Galapagar witnessed its last total eclipse on 8 July 1842, 184 years ago, with a phase of totality lasting 77 seconds. More recently, on 3 October 2005, an annular eclipse covered 90.2% of the solar disc and lasted slightly more than four minutes. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028, the next opportunity to see an annular eclipse from these latitudes will not arrive until 8 December 2113.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse (20:31, local time), the Sun will be 7.6 degrees above the horizon, pointing towards the west-northwest, with an azimuth of 283°. This orientation means observation must be directed towards that cardinal point. With only 5.6 degrees of clearance above the local topographic horizon, any interposing element—buildings, trees, hills—can block the view. It is recommended to locate in advance a clear location in that direction.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Galapagar
In Galapagar, totality began at 20:32 local time and lasted 0 min 0 s, until 20:32. The eclipse maximum fell at 20:32.
In Galapagar, the Sun was 8° 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 Galapagar
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:36:26 | 17:36:26 UTC | +18.0° | 274.4° | |
| C2 — Totality begins | 20:32:09 | 18:32:09 UTC | +7.6° | 283.1° | |
| Maximum | 20:32:09 | 18:32:09 UTC | +7.6° | 283.1° | |
| C3 — Totality ends | 20:32:09 | 18:32:09 UTC | +7.6° | 283.1° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:55 | 18:55 UTC | +3.5° | 286.7° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:24:21 | 19:24:21 UTC | -1.3° | 291.4° |
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).
Location
- Latitude
- 40.5783° N
- Longitude
- 4.0043° W
- Elevation
- 883 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:36:26
- Totality begins
- 20:32:09
- Maximum
- 20:32:09
- Totality ends
- 20:32:09
- Eclipse ends
- 21:24:21
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:17:38
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 47m 55s
- Totality
- At the edge
This location falls on the edge of the path of totality. You may see a few seconds of totality or just a very deep partial eclipse — the difference comes down to metres. We don't publish a duration because we couldn't stand behind it.
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 100%
- Sun altitude
- +7.6°
- Sun azimuth
- 283.1°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (283.1°)
283.1° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
7.61°
Sun altitude at maximum
2.70°
Terrain horizon
+4.91°
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 Galapagar
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabeza de Hierro Menor | 2376 m | 24.9 km | 13° NNE |
| Cerro de Valdemartín | 2282 m | 24.1 km | 8° N |
| Alto de las Guarramillas (Bola del Mundo) | 2265 m | 23.1 km | 5° N |
| La Maliciosa | 2227 m | 21.2 km | 8° N |
| Cerro del Cristo | 2227 m | 23.2 km | 4° N |
| Dos Castillas | 2179 m | 23.1 km | 3° N |
| Siete Picos - Somontano | 2138 m | 22.7 km | 354° N |
| El Peñotillo | 2124 m | 20.9 km | 7° N |
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The August sky
9%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 9%P75 — cloudier days · 47%
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 Galapagar
- Last total eclipseAugust 12, 20260 years ago
- Last annular eclipseOctober 3, 200521 years ago
- Next annular eclipseDecember 8, 2113
Solar eclipses computed from astronomical ephemerides for the city's coordinates.
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Frequently asked questions about the eclipse in Galapagar
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Galapagar?
Yes — Galapagar was inside the totality path and the horizon allowed the total phase to be fully visible.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Galapagar?
Maximum occurred at 20:32 local time (18:32 UTC) in Galapagar.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Galapagar?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 283°), 8° above the horizon at maximum from Galapagar.
How long did totality last in Galapagar?
Totality lasted 0 min 0 s in Galapagar (C2 to C3).
Was Galapagar a good place to watch the eclipse?
Galapagar 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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