Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:36
Pilar de la Horadada
37.866°, -0.793° · 31 m a.s.l.
98% of the Sun covered at maximum
Visible · score 50/100 Sun at +4° · 286° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 3.02° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 98% obscuration
PILAR DE LA HORADADA · 37.866° N -0.793° W
Photo: Joanbanjo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Pilar de la Horadada, the Moon covered 98% of the Sun.
At 20:36 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Pilar de la Horadada, covering up to 98% 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 61/ 100
Full ring visible
See the eclipse from Pilar de la Horadada minute by minute
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About Pilar de la Horadada
Pilar de la Horadada occupies the southernmost corner of the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community, bordering the Region of Murcia. With a population of around 21,400 inhabitants and an altitude of barely 31 meters above sea level, the municipality stretches along a coastal strip with a wide horizon facing the Mediterranean. Its location at the southern boundary of the Valencian Community gives it a maritime character which, on clear summer days, offers wide visibility toward the western horizon.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Pilar de la Horadada will experience a partial solar eclipse. Maximum will occur at 20:35, when the Sun will be just 4° above the horizon. With a margin of 3.1° from the terrain profile, observation will require a completely clear western horizon toward the west-northwest. Although this is not a total eclipse, the Sun's low angle at that hour adds a particular character to the observation, with the Moon cutting across the solar disk along the horizon line.
The weather in August
August is the sunniest and driest month of the year in Pilar de la Horadada. According to data from the AEMET station for the period 1991–2020, average temperature is around 26 °C, with highs near 30 °C and lows of 22 °C. Average precipitation does not exceed 8 mm and the municipality accumulates more than 316 hours of sunshine in the month. With a 76% probability of clear skies and reduced risk of thunderstorms, summer conditions are favorable for eclipse observation.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Pilar de la Horadada occurred on May 12, 1706, over 320 years ago, with totality lasting approximately two minutes and forty seconds. As for the future, the next annular eclipse observable from the municipality will arrive on July 13, 2075, while one must wait until June 20, 2327 for the following total eclipse.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, at 20:35 on August 12, 2026, the Sun will be at an azimuth of 286° and an altitude of 4° above the horizon. An azimuth of 286° corresponds to a direction almost due west, slightly displaced toward the northwest. For practical purposes, the observer should look toward the west-northwest with the Sun very close to the horizon line. It is advisable to find a location with wide views of the sea or open terrain in that direction.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Pilar de la Horadada
In Pilar de la Horadada, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:36 local time, with 98% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Pilar de la Horadada, the Sun was 4° above the horizon, toward the WNW. Even so, a clear horizon toward the WNW helped.
This area typically sees around 4% 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 Pilar de la Horadada
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:41:09 | 17:41:09 UTC | +14.3° | 277.8° | |
| Maximum | 20:35:34 | 18:35:34 UTC | +4.0° | 285.8° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:49 | 18:49 UTC | +1.5° | 287.9° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:26:37 | 19:26:37 UTC | -5.1° | 293.7° |
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
- 37.8659° N
- Longitude
- 0.7926° W
- Elevation
- 31 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:41:09
- Maximum
- 20:35:34
- Eclipse ends
- 21:26:37
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 20:59:58
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 28s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 99%
- Sun altitude
- +4.0°
- Sun azimuth
- 285.8°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (285.8°)
285.8° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
3.96°
Sun altitude at maximum
0.94°
Terrain horizon
+3.02°
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 Pilar de la Horadada
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| ColumbaresIn the Sun's direction | 647 m | 21.2 km | 288° WNW |
| AltahonaIn the Sun's direction | 532 m | 19.4 km | 290° WNW |
| Pico del ÁguilaIn the Sun's direction | 449 m | 22.3 km | 293° WNW |
| Los MamellonesIn the Sun's direction | 428 m | 22.6 km | 294° WNW |
| Cabezo del BuitreIn the Sun's direction | 403 m | 23.7 km | 284° WNW |
| El PuntarrónIn the Sun's direction | 379 m | 24.9 km | 292° WNW |
| Cabezo Gordo | 312 m | 12.4 km | 235° SW |
| Cabezo Pisana | 261 m | 21.7 km | 320° NW |
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The August sky
Avg. temp.
26°C
Max / min
29.8° / 22.2°
Precipitation
7.8 mm
Storm risk
Low
Station SAN JAVIER AEROPUERTO, 9 km away · Period 1991-2020 · Source: AEMET
4%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 4%P75 — cloudier days · 29%
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 Pilar de la Horadada
- Last total eclipseMay 12, 1706320 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 Pilar de la Horadada
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Pilar de la Horadada?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 98% covered at maximum from Pilar de la Horadada.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Pilar de la Horadada?
Maximum occurred at 20:35 local time (18:35 UTC) in Pilar de la Horadada.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Pilar de la Horadada?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 286°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from Pilar de la Horadada.
Was Pilar de la Horadada a good place to watch the eclipse?
Pilar de la Horadada 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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