Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:38
Motril
36.751°, -3.518° · 34 m a.s.l.
95% of the Sun covered at maximum
Marginal · score 45/100 Sun at +5° · 285° WNW
Marginal: only 1.47° between the Sun and the local skyline at peak.
Partial eclipse · 95% obscuration
MOTRIL · 36.751° N -3.518° W
Photo: Zarateman · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Motril, the Moon covered 95% of the Sun.
At 20:38 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Motril, covering up to 95% 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 96/ 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 72/ 100
Full ring visible
See the eclipse from Motril minute by minute
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About Motril
Motril is a coastal municipality in the province of Granada, Andalusia, situated just a few metres above sea level—average elevation 34 m—in the Costa Tropical region. With around 60,000 inhabitants, it is the most populated urban hub on Granada's coast. The city stretches between the Mediterranean shoreline and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, a position that shapes both its microclimate and conditions for astronomical visibility toward the western horizon.
For this eclipse
On 12 August 2026, Motril will experience a partial solar eclipse with maximum at 20:37. At that moment, the Sun will be just 5.3° above the geometric horizon with an azimuth of 285°, practically in the west-northwest. However, the surrounding terrain raises the topographic horizon above the Sun's position: the calculated margin is −0.8°, meaning the solar disk will be hidden behind the reliefs at maximum. To observe the eclipse, you will need to find an elevated location with a clear view toward the west.
The weather in August
August in Motril is marked by low storm risk, a trait typical of the subtropical climate that sets the Costa Tropical apart from the rest of Andalusia's Mediterranean coast. Proximity to the sea moderates summer temperatures. AEMET climate data for the period 1991–2020 provides no temperature or precipitation records for the local station, but regional patterns point to habitually dry and sunny conditions during August.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse that covered Motril occurred on 22 December 1870, 156 years ago, with a totality phase of 81 seconds. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028, the next annular eclipse visible from here will occur on 13 July 2075; the following total eclipse to cross this latitude again will not arrive until 20 June 2327.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, the Sun will be positioned toward the west-northwest, with an azimuth of 285° and a height of just 5.3° above the mathematical horizon. With such low elevation, any obstacle ahead—buildings, hills or trees—can block the view. The ideal orientation for observation from Motril is to look directly toward the west-northwest, preferably from a high point or a terrace with an open horizon in that direction.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Motril
In Motril, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:38 local time, with 95% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Motril, the Sun was 5° 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 1% 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 Motril
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:43:08 | 17:43:08 UTC | +16.0° | 276.8° | |
| Maximum | 20:38:03 | 18:38:03 UTC | +5.2° | 284.7° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:45 | 18:45 UTC | +3.9° | 285.7° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:29:26 | 19:29:26 UTC | -4.1° | 292.4° |
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
- 36.7507° N
- Longitude
- 3.5179° W
- Elevation
- 34 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:43:08
- Maximum
- 20:38:03
- Eclipse ends
- 21:29:26
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:08:53
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 46m 19s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 95%
- Sun altitude
- +5.2°
- Sun azimuth
- 284.7°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (284.7°)
284.7° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
5.25°
Sun altitude at maximum
3.77°
Terrain horizon
+1.47°
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 Motril
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peña Caballera | 2188 m | 24.1 km | 9° N |
| Sierra de Lújar | 1878 m | 13.7 km | 50° NE |
| Mojón de Lújar | 1809 m | 11.9 km | 51° NE |
| Atalaya de Soportújar | 1690 m | 24.4 km | 29° NNE |
| Peñón Comerano | 1619 m | 10.5 km | 47° NE |
| Las Lagunillas | 1558 m | 10.5 km | 40° NE |
| Cerro de la Salchicha | 1545 m | 20.3 km | 64° ENE |
| Loma de Rubite | 1452 m | 19.5 km | 66° ENE |
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The August sky
1%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 1%P75 — cloudier days · 6%
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 Motril
- Last total eclipseDecember 22, 1870156 years ago
- Next total eclipseJune 20, 2327
- 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 Motril
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Motril?
Yes, but marginally: with 95% obscuration, the topographic horizon from Motril was very close to the Sun's altitude at the end.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Motril?
Maximum occurred at 20:38 local time (18:38 UTC) in Motril.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Motril?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 285°), 5° above the horizon at maximum from Motril.
Was Motril a good place to watch the eclipse?
Motril could see the eclipse with limitations (score 45/100): 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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