Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:40
Melilla
35.294°, -2.938° · 14 m a.s.l.
93% of the Sun covered at maximum
Visible · score 44/100 Sun at +4° · 285° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 1.84° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 93% obscuration
MELILLA · 35.294° N -2.938° W
Photo: JJ Merelo · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Melilla, the Moon covered 93% of the Sun.
At 20:40 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Melilla, covering up to 93% 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 41/ 100
Eclipse visible
See the eclipse from Melilla minute by minute
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About Melilla
Melilla is a Spanish autonomous city located on the north coast of Africa, nestled along the Mediterranean coast of the Moroccan Rif. Home to roughly 86,000 inhabitants and standing at barely 14 meters above sea level, the city occupies a small rocky peninsula that has historically served as a meeting point between Europe and the African continent. Its territory, completely surrounded by Morocco, makes it one of two Spanish autonomous cities in North Africa.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Melilla will experience a partial solar eclipse with its maximum at 20:39 local time. At that moment the Sun will be just 4.1° above the horizon, facing west-northwest (azimuth 285°), with a margin of only 2.5° from the topographic horizon. Observation will be possible from locations with clear western horizons, though the Sun's low altitude will require finding a vantage point unobstructed toward the west.
The weather in August
August in Melilla is warm and dry, with an average temperature of 26.3°C, highs around 29.6°C and lows of 23°C. Precipitation is virtually nonexistent—barely 4.4 mm on average—and the month accumulates about 279 hours of sunlight. The risk of thunderstorms is low and the probability of clear skies hovers around 67%, making August one of the most stable months of the year for astronomical observation. Data: AEMET (1991–2020).
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Melilla occurred on December 22, 1870, 156 years ago, with totality lasting only 53 seconds. There is no record of a prior annular eclipse. After the eclipses of 2026 and 2028, observers will have to wait until July 6, 2187 to see the next total eclipse from the city; the next annular eclipse will arrive sooner, on April 1, 2136, with an obscuration of 88.1%.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of eclipse maximum, at 20:39, the Sun is positioned at azimuth 285°, that is, toward the west-northwest, slightly north of due west. Its altitude above the horizon is merely 4.1°, equivalent to just over the width of eight full moons stacked together. The sun will have already begun its descent toward sunset, making the west-facing orientation the decisive factor for choosing an adequate observation point.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Melilla
In Melilla, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:40 local time, with 93% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Melilla, the Sun was 4° above the horizon, toward the WNW. Even so, a clear horizon toward the WNW helped.
This area typically sees around 10% 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 Melilla
Local time · Africa/Ceuta| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:45:36 | 17:45:36 UTC | +14.8° | 277.9° | |
| Maximum | 20:40:04 | 18:40:04 UTC | +4.1° | 285.4° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:50 | 18:50 UTC | +2.3° | 286.7° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:31:02 | 19:31:02 UTC | -5.4° | 292.8° |
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
- 35.2937° N
- Longitude
- 2.9383° W
- Elevation
- 14 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:45:36
- Maximum
- 20:40:04
- Eclipse ends
- 21:31:02
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:04:06
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 26s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 93%
- Sun altitude
- +4.1°
- Sun azimuth
- 285.4°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (285.4°)
285.4° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
4.05°
Sun altitude at maximum
2.22°
Terrain horizon
+1.84°
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 Melilla
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mont Gourougou ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ ⴻⵏ ⴳⵓⵔⴳⵓ جبل كوروكو | 890 m | 9.7 km | 213° SSW |
| Tidinnît | 572 m | 23.1 km | 223° SW |
| La Puntilla رأس الصغير | — | 13.0 km | 329° NNW |
| Azrou Hammar ⴰⵥⵔⵡ ⴻⵏ ⵀⴻⵎⵎⴰⵔ أزرو همار | — | 16.6 km | 204° SSW |
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The August sky
Avg. temp.
26.3°C
Max / min
29.6° / 23°
Precipitation
4.4 mm
Storm risk
Low
Station MELILLA, 3 km away · Period 1991-2020 · Source: AEMET
10%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 10%P75 — cloudier days · 53%
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 Melilla
- Last total eclipseDecember 22, 1870156 years ago
- Next total eclipseJuly 6, 2187
- Next annular eclipseApril 1, 2136
Solar eclipses computed from astronomical ephemerides for the city's coordinates.
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Frequently asked questions about the eclipse in Melilla
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Melilla?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 93% covered at maximum from Melilla.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Melilla?
Maximum occurred at 20:40 local time (18:40 UTC) in Melilla.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Melilla?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 285°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from Melilla.
Was Melilla a good place to watch the eclipse?
Melilla could see the eclipse with limitations (score 44/100): 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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