Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:35
Mérida
38.918°, -6.343° · 223 m a.s.l.
97% of the Sun covered at maximum
Visible · score 50/100 Sun at +8° · 282° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 8.36° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 97% obscuration
MÉRIDA · 38.918° N -6.343° W
Photo: Tomás Fano · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Mérida, the Moon covered 97% of the Sun.
At 20:35 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Mérida, covering up to 97% 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 75/ 100
Full ring visible
See the eclipse from Mérida minute by minute
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About Mérida
Mérida, capital of Extremadura, sits in the middle basin of the Guadiana River in the province of Badajoz, at 223 meters above sea level. With almost 60,000 inhabitants, it is one of the largest cities in the region. Its position on the Extremaduran plateau, surrounded by dehesas and fertile lowlands, gives it an open landscape with broad horizons, favorable for astronomical observation. The modern municipality was established in 1834, although its history as a settlement dates back to Roman colonization.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Mérida will experience a partial solar eclipse. Maximum occurs at 20:34 local time, with the Sun toward the west-northwest at an azimuth of 282° and 8.4° above the geometric horizon. The clearance relative to the topographic horizon is also 8.4°, indicating the Sun will be clearly visible from an observatory with an open view in that direction. It is recommended to seek a location with clear views to the west.
The weather in August
August in Mérida is the warmest month of the year. According to AEMET climatological data (1991–2020 period), the average temperature hovers around 26.6 °C, with highs typically exceeding 35 °C during the day and lows around 17.8 °C at night. Precipitation is scarce, averaging just 5.9 mm per month, and the risk of storms is low. Overall, August is one of the driest and sunniest months in the Extremaduran basin.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Mérida occurred on July 8, 1842, 184 years ago, with totality lasting just over two minutes. Before that, on April 1, 1764, an annular eclipse covered 86.9% of the Sun's disk for more than six minutes. After the eclipses of 2026 and 2028, the next annular eclipse will not be visible from the city until December 8, 2113, and the following total eclipse won't occur until the year 2327.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At maximum eclipse, at 20:34, the Sun will be nearly due west-northwest with an azimuth of 282°. At that time it will be 8.4° above the horizon, roughly equivalent to the width of a fist at arm's length. The Sun will descend gradually as the afternoon progresses; it is advisable to position yourself in a location without obstacles to the west to maintain unobstructed visibility throughout the partial phase.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Mérida
In Mérida, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:35 local time, with 97% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Mérida, the Sun was 8° above the horizon, toward the WNW. With that much margin above the horizon, any spot with open sky worked.
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 Mérida
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:39:15 | 17:39:15 UTC | +19.1° | 273.9° | |
| Maximum | 20:35:20 | 18:35:20 UTC | +8.4° | 282.4° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 21:23 | 19:23 UTC | -0.0° | 289.7° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:27:45 | 19:27:45 UTC | -0.9° | 290.4° |
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).
Phases shown in red aren't observable: they happen while the Sun is below the horizon.
Location
- Latitude
- 38.9180° N
- Longitude
- 6.3429° W
- Elevation
- 223 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:39:15
- Maximum
- 20:35:20
- Eclipse ends
- 21:27:45
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:24:01
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 48m 30s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 97%
- Sun altitude
- +8.4°
- Sun azimuth
- 282.4°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (282.4°)
282.4° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
8.39°
Sun altitude at maximum
0.03°
Terrain horizon
+8.36°
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 Mérida
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerro de la Culebra | 480 m | 16.3 km | 154° SSE |
| Cerro del Madroñal | 384 m | 15.8 km | 53° NE |
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The August sky
Avg. temp.
26.6°C
Max / min
35.3° / 17.8°
Precipitation
5.9 mm
Storm risk
Low
Station MÉRIDA, 4 km away · Period 1991-2020 · Source: AEMET
0%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 0%P75 — cloudier days · 19%
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 Mérida
- Last total eclipseJuly 8, 1842184 years ago
- Last annular eclipseApril 1, 1764262 years ago
- Next total eclipseJune 20, 2327
- 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 Mérida
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Mérida?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 97% covered at maximum from Mérida.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Mérida?
Maximum occurred at 20:35 local time (18:35 UTC) in Mérida.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Mérida?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 282°), 8° above the horizon at maximum from Mérida.
Was Mérida a good place to watch the eclipse?
Mérida 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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