Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:31
Maó
39.889°, 4.266° · 39 m a.s.l.
1 min 6 s of night in broad daylight
Marginal · score 64/100 Sun at +2° · 288° WNW
Marginal: only 0.31° between the Sun and the local skyline at C3.
Total eclipse · 100% obscuration
C1 — Partial begins
19:37
☀ +11°
C2 — Totality begins
20:30
☀ +2°
Maximum
20:31
1m 6s · 288° WNW
C4 — Partial ends
21:21
☀ -7°
MAÓ · 39.889° N 4.266° E
Photo: Jorge Franganillo · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Maó, day turned to night for 1 min 6 s.
At 20:31 local time, the Moon fully covered the Sun over Maó. For 1 min 6 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
Sun below horizon
See the eclipse from Maó minute by minute
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About Maó
Maó is the capital of Menorca, the easternmost island of the Balearic archipelago, and belongs to the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. With nearly 29,000 inhabitants and an altitude of 39 meters above sea level, it is the main urban center on the island. The city is built around its extensive ría, whose opening to the Mediterranean has defined the coastal profile and maritime character that have characterized Maó since its origins.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Maó lies within the path of totality of the solar eclipse. Maximum eclipse occurs at 20:30, with the Sun at only 1.7° above the horizon in the direction of 288°, almost due west-northwest. The verdict is marginal: the Sun will be barely a degree above the topographic horizon, which means that any obstruction in that direction could prevent observation of totality.
The weather in August
According to AEMET data for the period 1991–2020, August in Maó shows a low thunderstorm risk. For an eclipse occurring at 20:30, when the Sun grazes the west-northwest horizon, atmospheric stability is especially important: a low cloud to the west could be enough to obscure totality. The reduced thunderstorm risk is, in this context, a favorable indicator for observers planning to travel to Maó.
Past eclipses
The annular eclipse of November 11, 1901, 125 years ago, was the last of its kind visible from Maó: the Moon covered 82.3% of the solar disk in a ring of fire that lasted around six and a half minutes. After the total eclipse of August 2026, Maó will have to wait until July 13, 2075 for the next annular eclipse and until November 17, 2180 for the next totality.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At maximum eclipse, at 20:30, the Sun will be at 288° azimuth and only 1.7° altitude above the horizon. An azimuth of 288° corresponds to a direction almost due west-northwest, about 18° north of due west. With the Sun practically at the horizon's edge, the choice of observation point is decisive: a clear line of sight toward the west-northwest is needed, with no buildings or terrain blocking this narrow band of sky.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Maó
In Maó, totality began at 20:30 local time and lasted 1 min 6 s, until 20:31. The eclipse maximum fell at 20:31.
In Maó, the Sun was 2° 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 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 Maó
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:37:24 | 17:37:24 UTC | +11.5° | 279.8° | |
| C2 — Totality begins | 20:30:17 | 18:30:17 UTC | +1.9° | 288.1° | |
| Maximum | 20:30:51 | 18:30:51 UTC | +1.8° | 288.1° | |
| C3 — Totality ends | 20:31:23 | 18:31:23 UTC | +1.7° | 288.2° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:33 | 18:33 UTC | +1.4° | 288.5° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:21:14 | 19:21:14 UTC | -6.9° | 296.4° |
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
- 39.8885° N
- Longitude
- 4.2658° E
- Elevation
- 39 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:37:24
- Totality begins
- 20:30:17
- Maximum
- 20:30:51
- Totality ends
- 20:31:23
- Eclipse ends
- 21:21:14
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 20:43:30
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 43m 51s
- Totality
- 1m 6s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 100%
- Sun altitude
- +1.8°
- Sun azimuth
- 288.1°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (288.1°)
288.1° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
1.79°
Sun altitude at maximum
1.38°
Terrain horizon
+0.31°
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 Maó
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| El ToroIn the Sun's direction | 362 m | 16.9 km | 310° NW |
| Puig de LanzellIn the Sun's direction | 232 m | 16.1 km | 311° NW |
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The August sky
0%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 0%P75 — cloudier days · 17%
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 Maó
The path of totality crossed over Maó, but the Sun was behind the terrain before the total phase began.
- 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 Maó
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Maó?
Yes, but marginally: with 100% obscuration, the topographic horizon from Maó was very close to the Sun's altitude at the end.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Maó?
Maximum occurred at 20:30 local time (18:30 UTC) in Maó.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Maó?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 288°), 2° above the horizon at maximum from Maó.
How long did totality last in Maó?
Totality lasted 1 min 6 s in Maó (C2 to C3). (corrected for the Moon's limb profile)
Was Maó a good place to watch the eclipse?
Maó 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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